Their High School Lives
by CatsCradle22
Summary: High school... It's a whole new world and for Lucy Heartfilia, navigating will be a challenge. With her best friend Levy by her side, she's sure she can do it! But she and all her friends will be tested to their very limit. Will they all survive? How will they change? Read and find out! There are many pairings in this story!
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! I'm back with a new story as well as an update for Gang Busting! I tried to make this a tad more realistic than the other high school stories I've read but ya know... Also, some of my ideas come from my own high school experiance. Especially the first paragraph. That basically describes high school when I went through it. I just graduated this year and I'm gonna miss that old school and the friends I left behind but college is amazing as well. So I hope you all enjoy this and for those who have yet to go through it or are in the middle right now... It can be so hard at times but it is also tons of fun! Feel free to ask me advice about getting through!**

**Enjoy this first chapter and let me know what you think!**

The First Day of School

This is the story of a group of friends. They aren't always friends and they didn't used to be friends but hey! That's what high school is for right? You make friends, fight with those friends, lose friends, and then get them back and all in the span of a week! And then this week repeats itself for four years. Add to that all the schoolwork, homework and home life, not to mention getting your first job and learning about love! Yeah, high school can be hard but it's also some of the most fun anyone will have in their entire lives. So anyway, this is the story of the high school years of a group of friends. Now that all that intro stuff is out of the way, let me begin their story…

We start with two best friends. They are standing outside the gate of the prestigious Fairy High. In all Fiore, the top students and athletes are chosen to attend this school whose curriculum is a bit different from normal high schools. The girls, for they are girls, are comparing schedules. "I have Math first, then English, the Science, then Social Studies, then my concert band practice, then Latin." A blond teen said to her blunette best friend. The blonde's chocolate brown eyes sparkled in anticipation of the first day of high school. She couldn't wait to make new friends and she hoped her best friend had a similar schedule. "What about you Levy?" she asked, excited. Levy looked at the paper in her hands. "Well we have Math, Social Studies and Latin together!" she said after looking over their schedules. Levy's smile widened. "Half of our classes Lu!" she exclaimed. They grinned and high fived before stepping through the gates and walking up the stairs. Pushing open the doors, they stepped into the wide welcoming hallway.

Lucy's eyes widened at the orange and yellow cloth banners decorating the austere hall. "Wow! This is amazing!" she exclaimed. Levy could only nod. "I take it you two are freshmen." A voice said from behind them. The girls turned to find a tall girl with scarlet hair looking down at them. She looked rather intimidating but her eyes softened when the girl noticed their star-struck gaze. "I'm Erza Scarlet. I'm the Student Council President though I'm only a sophomore. I can show you around if you want. You got here early which is commendable and there is enough time for you to get the grand tour." She said. Lucy nodded but Levy gasped. "You're _the _Erza Scarlet?! The kendo champion who has never lost a match?!" she asked. Erza waved it off. "I am but you can just call me Erza. I'm still a girl you know." She said. Levy nodded but there were stars in her eyes. Erza turned and led them down the main hall. "There are lots of classrooms down these halls." She said, indicating the classrooms. "The building has three floors and a roof access. And here is the assembly hall. When we clear away the chairs, there is a large floor space which we use for dances." Erza continued. Lucy thought the sheer size of the assembly hall was amazing. "Down this way is the gymnasium for the sports classes. They host basketball games in there too." Erza turned back to the two girls. "It can seem very big at first but I'm sure you'll find your way. Just ask me if you get lost." She said.

Lucy was a tad bit overwhelmed but she nodded. She had a feeling it was a good thing to have Erza Scarlet on her side. Erza led them into a classroom and pointed out the windows. "The athletic fields are over there. Since this school is a private institution, we have quite a bit to work with. The football stadium is over there and the track in inside it as well. The soccer field is to the left and there is a baseball field behind the stadium." She said. They all turned as they heard the door open again. Erza gave a small smile to the entering newcomer. "Hello Mira." She said. A tall girl with long white hair was entering the classroom. She smiled kindly at them. "Erza!" she said, "It's great to see you again! Are these some new students?" she asked. Erza nodded. Lucy stepped forward, "I'm Lucy Heartfilia and this is my best friend Levy McGarden!" she said. Mira's smile made her feel at ease. "It's nice to meet you Lucy, Levy. My name is Mirajane Strauss, aspiring fashonista and a junior here at Fairy High." She said. Now Lucy's eyes widened. "I've seen you in magazines!" she exclaimed. Mira giggled and said, "I do a bit of modeling but I'm going to become a fashion designer. And you shouldn't be so modest Miss Star Soccer Player!" she said. Lucy blushed. "I didn't think anyone knew about that. It was only one article in a sports magazine." She said. Mirajane patted her shoulder. "My little sister Lisanna is a swimmer and she reads those magazines. I recognize you from one of them. Lisanna is starting here too this year! I'll introduce you at lunch if you don't see her before then. Oh! You should eat with us! We eat on the roof with some of my friends and my younger brother Elfman's friends." Mirajane said. Lucy and Levy accepted her lunch invitation right away.

It was getting closer to the start of class at that point. Erza told them to go to the assembly hall for the opening ceremonies and she also provided them with directions to their first class. Lucy and Levy were very glad that they'd met Erza and Mira. It was looking like their high school lives were getting off to a good start.

They were now sitting in a row of folding chairs in the assembly hall amidst lots of other students. Returning students were finding their friends while new students were trying to meet people. Lucy was going over her schedule trying to think of how she was going to get to her classes and her locker when a masculine voice said, "Hey are these seats taken?" She looked up and saw a boy with spiky pink hair standing in front of her. Behind him was a boy with rakish black hair. The pink haired boy was grinning a goofy, lopsided grin which Lucy couldn't help but smile at. "Nope! We aren't saving them!" she replied. The two boys sat down. The pink haired one was next to Lucy and he noticed what she was looking at. "Hey is that your schedule?" he asked. When she nodded he took his own out and handed it to her. "You're a freshman too?" she asked when she saw similarities. Now he nodded. "Hey we have our first class together! That means you also have to deal with Gray over here." He said, indicating the black haired boy. Gray glared at him. "You wanna go Pinky?" he threatened. Lucy face palmed and said, "Please don't fight near me!" The boys calmed down and the pink haired one went back to examining their schedules. "Hey we're also in the same English and Latin class!" he exclaimed. Lucy smiled at that. "Half of the same classes!" she exclaimed.

About then, the assembly started. The principle, Makarov, was introduced as was Erza, student council president. The pink haired boy leaned over after her introduction and said, "She's scary!" Lucy giggled at that. Then came the speech about doing well this year and not misbehaving. The assembly was over after that and it was a mad dash to get to class. Lucy looked over at the pink haired boy. "Hey I never got your name!" she said. He looked like he was just realizing this. "Oh! I'm Natsu Dragneel. That Ice Queen is Gray Fullbuster." He said. "Wait, the new quarterback for the football team Natsu?" she asked. He nodded proudly. "I've been playing football for my entire life! They recruited me because the other quarterback got injured last season." He explained. Lucy couldn't believe the quarterback was a freshman! She just shrugged then realized she'd forgotten to introduce herself. "I'm Lucy Heartfilia and this is Levy McGarden." She said. Natsu pointed at both of them with his mouth in an "O" shape. "You're the soccer star and she's the drama queen!" he exclaimed. His compliment made Levy blush but Lucy just nodded. "I can't believe you know about us." She said. "My sister loves you two. She's only in sixth grade but she follows your stories." He explained.

Lucy started to lead the way to their first class. "Hey I have a little brother in sixth grade!" she said. Natsu laughed. "We have a lot in common!" he noticed. Lucy grinned and nodded. They made it to class where their teacher, Mr. Porla, was telling everyone to just sit wherever they wanted to. Lucy and Levy sat next to each other while Natsu sat in front of Lucy and Gray sat behind Levy. The teacher only handed out the traditional first day contact information sheets and then let the students talk and get to know each other. And so that is what they did!

All their other classes were like that as well. Then lunch rolled around and Lucy ran up the stairs to the roof. There she found Mira, her sister Lisanna and brother Elfman, Levy, Erza and four other people she didn't know. Mira introduced them as Evergreen, Freed (her boyfriend), Cana and Gajeel. Evergreen smirked as she was introduced, Freed didn't look away from Mira, Cana drained her drink (which smelled rather suspiciously like alcohol) and Gajeel grunted. They ate and talked about nothing for a while then Mira turned to Lucy and said, "The school does an annual talent show in a few months. You should participate! Everyone tries to win and the grand prize is usually something really good." Lucy considered this. "A talent show huh? Well that sounds like fun! I think I'll do it." She said. Levy nodded. "Me too!"

Lucy was at her locker grabbing her stuff after school when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see Cana. "Mira told me you play soccer." She said. Lucy nodded. "Then you should come with me. Every fall, as you know, they boys soccer team has their season. The girls who want to be on the soccer team in the spring usually show up to the boys' practices to train. It's not something you have to do but it looks really good to the coaches when you try out." She said. Lucy's face widened into a grin. "Thanks Cana! I never would have known that!" she said. Cana gave her a small smile. "I was a freshman last year. If it wasn't for Mira I wouldn't have known that either. Now come on! I know you don't have equipment but just remember to bring it tomorrow and play as you are now." Cana said, grabbing Lucy's wrist and dragging her along.

They passed Levy on the way and Lucy told her about the soccer. "That's great Lu! I know you love soccer. I'm going to be in the library studying so I'll meet you out front and we can walk home together." She said. Lucy nodded and waved, hurrying after Cana. When they reached the practice fields, Lucy noticed the football team practicing as well. She spotted Natsu, Gajeel and Elfman among all the players. Cana led her to a circle of girls who were at one end of the field while the boys' team was on the other. "Hello girls!" Cana said. Lucy could tell Cana loved soccer just as much as she did. There was a huge grin on her face. "This is Lucy Heartfilia. She's a freshman but she's pretty good." Cana said by way of introduction. Some of the girls waved while others only glanced up from their stretching. Cana pointed at a few of them. "That is Juvia Lockser, she usually is on defense. The girl with the blond hair is Kristy. She was captain last year and one of the best players on the team. She plays forward." Lucy nodded. Cana told her the names of the other girls but most of them seemed too absorbed in their training.

Kristy stood after finishing her stretches and clapped her hands. "Alright everyone! It's nice that we have Lucy here. I'm sure we've all heard of her but let's not forget that nobody is guaranteed a spot on the team. Let's run some drills and see how much you still remember from last year!" she said. The drills were intense and Lucy was soon covered in sweat but she was in her element and she loved it. They practiced for several hours before Kristy finally sent them home. Lucy was heading to the locker rooms with the other girls so she could get her stuff and towel off when she was stopped by Kristy. "You are pretty good." The blond said. Lucy could feel her cheeks turning pink. "Try your best and you will probably make the team. I won't go easy on you just because you're a freshman." She continued. Lucy nodded, determination on her face. "I can do it!" she said. Kristy laughed. "That's the spirit! You're going to go far here Lucy Heartfilia!"

Lucy stepped into the locker room and was immediately grabbed by Cana, the girl named Juvia and one named Selena. "That was amazing!" Cana said. "Kristy is a senior this year but ever since she became captain she has been really hard on everybody. She isn't nice to very many people. You're so lucky to have impressed her!" Lucy was flustered. "Oh come on! I'm sure she isn't that bad! She just wants all of us to do our best!" she said. Juvia shook her head. "Juvia knows what Cana says. Juvia is in the same class as Cana. Kristy came down really hard on all the freshman last year!" she exclaimed. Selena nodded. "Kristy has championship trophies from all her years in soccer but the girls' team here has never been to a single championship. We came really close last year but we lost in the very last game." She explained. "It would be awesome if we could win the championship for her this year. She's hard on the outside but we all love that she pushes us this hard. So we want to win this year. That's why we started training early." Lucy nodded. "I'm sure we can win this year!" she said.

Lucy dried herself off and grabbed her bag. She left the locker rooms after waving to Cana, Juvia and Selena. She was half way back across the practice fields when she heard somebody calling her name. Turning around she saw Natsu running to catch up to her. She stopped and let him catch up. "Hey Natsu! How was practice?" she asked. He grinned at her. "It was pretty good. The coach is awesome and we have some really good players. What are you still doing here?" he asked. Lucy explained why she was there as they made it back to the building. "That's cool!" Natsu said. "I didn't know the girls did that here!" he added. Lucy smiled. "I know! Cana told me about it at lunch today. You should eat with us tomorrow! Bring Gray with you. We eat up on the roof. I'm sure Mirajane wouldn't mind having you two eat with us." She said. Natsu agreed and they exited the building.

Levy was waiting outside for Lucy. When she saw her best friend walk out talking with Natsu, she grinned to herself. It had always been like this. Lucy always made friends really fast and really easily. Levy was more of the shy type and it had been Lucy who'd decided they would be friends all the way back in first grade. It didn't matter who you were, if you were a good person, Lucy would find a way to make you her friend. So it didn't surprise her that Lucy already made friends with Natsu. Lucy spotted Levy and waved. She turned and said something to Natsu and he grinned and said something back to her. Lucy came over to Levy and said, "Is it ok if Natsu walks with us? He is going the same way we are." She said. Levy shook her head. "I don't mind." She said. They set off down the street comparing days and talking about activities. Levy split away from the trio as they came to her street. "See you tomorrow Lu!" she said, waving. Lucy grinned and waved back. She and Natsu continued on this time in comfortable silence.

Natsu broke the silence by asking, "How long have you known Levy?" Lucy smiled to herself. "I've known her since first grade so practically my entire life. She's like a sister to me." She said. Natsu thought about that. "That's almost as long as I've known Gray. He lives across the street from me but he moved there around third grade." He said. Lucy giggled. "I thought you two were close! Even if you do fight a lot you guys hang out together a lot too!" she said. Natsu laughed. "Yeah well, sometimes I hate him but you can't stay mad at someone you've known for long." He said. Lucy agreed. They reached her house next. "Well this is my stop! Bye Natsu!" she said. He paused, "Wait you live here?" he asked. Lucy nodded, confused by his reaction. "I live two blocks down on Ember Lane!" he said, pointing of into the distance. "Cool!" Lucy said. "Maybe I'll see you around!" She waved before heading into her house.

Once inside her home, she sighed. She tried to stay happy and forget about the dark cloud hanging over the house whenever she was out in public. She didn't need all the attention from being "that girl." "I'm home!" she called quietly. If her mother was asleep it wouldn't be smart to wake her. Footsteps came down the stairs to the landing. It was her little brother Romeo. "Where were you sis?" he asked. Lucy explained, "I was at school. Girls' soccer training starts early at Fairy High. Is she any better?" Romeo shook his head. "No. She keeps coughing only now blood comes out when she does. The doctor said she only has a few months left. Lucy what are we gonna do if she…?" Romeo's face was clouded with distress and worry and Lucy hated herself for it. She was his big sister and she was supposed to make sure he didn't worry. He wasn't supposed to have to grow up this fast.

Lucy climbed the stairs and led her brother to her room. She threw her bag into her desk chair and sat down on her bed. Romeo plopped down into the light blue butterfly chair in the corner of her room. Lucy sighed. "I'll figure something out Romeo. I know it looks bad but… I'll figure something out I promise. And you know I never break my promises." Romeo nodded. Now he just looked sad. Lucy lay back on her bed and patted the place beside her. "Come on. You aren't too big to do this are you?" she asked. Romeo stood and came to her bed and lay beside her. She took his hand as they stared at the ceiling. After a while, Lucy said, "I'm sorry Romeo. I'm sorry Dad had to walk out on us when Mom got sick. I'm sorry mom isn't better. I'm sorry things looks so bad right now." Romeo squeezed her hand. "It isn't your fault Lucy." He said. Lucy rolled over and gave her little brother a hug. "You're the best little brother in the world." She said. This brought a small smile to Romeo's face. "Just remember that the next time I leave the toilet seat up!" he said, joking. Lucy giggled into her pillow. This wasn't enough for Romeo so he began to poke her sides where he knew she was most ticklish. Lucy shrieked into her pillow then flipped over, laughing and swatting at his hands. Now both of them were laughing until they couldn't breathe.

Lucy sat up and wiped a few stray tears from her eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm down. Romeo sat up as well, a grin back on his face. "What do you want for dinner Romeo? If we have it in the fridge I can make it for you." She said. Romeo thought for a minute then said, "Pasta!" Lucy nodded, "Alright, pasta it is!"

Later that night, Lucy called Levy. She went outside and sat on the porch just in case Romeo came down for anything. He was in his room playing video games so it was a pretty sure bet that he wouldn't be down until the next morning but just in case, Lucy sat on the porch. Levy picked up after the second ring. "Are you alright Lu?" she asked. Lucy sighed. "She's getting worse Levy. The doctor says she won't make it more than a couple months. The cancer spread to her lungs now and there's just no stopping it. They're taking her off of chemo and radiation Levy. They say there isn't anything else they can do except make sure she isn't in any pain. She still won't leave the house so we have to set something up here. Levy I… I don't know what to do! If she dies we won't have a parent or legal guardian. Someone will come and take us to the foster care system. Romeo and I could be separated!" Lucy said. Tears were starting to fall down her cheeks. She and Romeo had been through so much together and she wasn't sure what she would do if they were separated.

"Oh Lu…" Levy whispered into her phone. She was sitting on her bed in her room. Below, her parents were talking about something unknown to her. It was a normal family atmosphere. Why couldn't Lucy have that? What did she ever do to deserve the hand she'd been given? "I wish I could help you but you know my parents…" she said. Lucy's voice came through sounding teary. "I know. They don't have the money or room to be taking care of me and Romeo. It's ok. I have to figure something out I just… Don't really know what to do right now." She admitted. Levy nodded though she knew Lucy couldn't see her nod. "Maybe you should tell the principal or the guidance counselor about it?" she suggested. The other end of the line grew quiet. Levy continued before Lucy could speak, "I know you don't want to be 'that girl' but this school is different from the others we've been to. I think they might be able to help you out. Just think about it ok Lucy?" Lucy was quiet for a few more moments before saying, "I'll think about it. Thanks Levy, for everything." Levy smiled. "I don't know what you're thanking me for. This is what sisters do right? So forget about it. You can tell me anything." She said. "I have to go make sure Romeo gets some sleep tonight. He has a game tomorrow. You should come if you can." Lucy replied. They hung up after promising to meet and walk to school together the next morning.

**And that's the first chapter! I think it went well but I'd love to hear from you! Please R&R if you can!**

**CC22**


	2. Chapter 2

**I've got another chapter for ya! Thanks to those of you who read this story so far! I've got plans for this story so stick with me! I'm working on my update for Gang Busting and it might be out on Wednesday of this week but I'm not sure yet. Finals are this week so I'm focused on them right now. **

**Enjoy this chapter!**

Little Brother's First Game

Lucy was packing Romeo's lunch while he ran around the house gathering his stuff when the doorbell rang. Every time that happened a shock of nervousness shot through her. After all, it was just a matter of time before somebody showed up with a social worker to separate Lucy and her brother. "Can you get that Romeo?" she called. Romeo answered the door while Lucy stood tensely in the kitchen. The voice she heard sent a huge wave of relief through her. "Hey is Lucy there?" Natsu asked. "I'll be out in a minute Natsu!" she called. She finished Romeo's lunch and brought it out to him. "Here you go Romeo. Oh this is my friend Natsu. Natsu, this is my little brother Romeo." She said, introducing the two. Natsu grinned his lopsided, goofy grin and said, "You should meet my sister Wendy! I bet you guys would get along!" Lucy looked at the clock and began to push both boys towards the door. "We're gonna be late if we don't get going and you're gonna miss that bus Romeo." She said. Once they were outside, she turned to her brother. "Remember what I said last night ok?" she said to him. Romeo nodded, a determined expression entering his eyes. "Oh and when is your game?" she asked. "It's at four. The field is pretty close so I can walk home if you can't make it." He answered. Lucy rolled her eyes. "As if I'd miss your game. I'll be there even if I'm a tad late ok?" Romeo nodded and waved as he made his way to the bus stop at the corner of the block.

Lucy turned to Natsu and said, "Come on. I promised I'd meet Levy." She started walking down the street quickly and Natsu followed. He caught up to her and asked, "So do your parents work early or something?" Lucy flinched. She didn't want to lie to him. It wasn't in her nature to lie but she also didn't want his pity. "My mom is… sick and my dad left us a while ago." She said. Natsu looked at her out of the corner of his eye. He could tell there was something she wasn't telling him but he didn't push it. At the corner where they'd left Levy the day before they now picked her up. Natsu was further concerned when he caught Levy shooting Lucy a concerned glance and Lucy shaking her head. He still held his tongue because he understood if Lucy didn't want to talk about it. I mean, they had only met one day ago and even if they seemed to get along really well, that didn't mean Natsu was privy to all her secrets.

The school day went by quickly and soon it was over. Lucy told Cana to tell the girls that she would be missing that practice because of her little brother's game. She was walking out the door when she noticed Gray leaving. "Gray!" she called. He turned around and waited for her to catch up. "Mind if I walk with you?" she asked. Gray shrugged. "Sure, why not?" he said. They walked for a while in silence, each thinking their own private thoughts. Lucy was just remembering that Romeo forgot his water bottle at home when Gray said, "So Natsu told me you live near us." Lucy nodded. "Yeah apparently I live about two blocks down. I live on the street we're about to turn onto." She said, pointing ahead. Gray nodded. "Natsu and I live on Ember Lane. His house is the one with the red door and mine has a white door on it. It figures his house would be the one with the different door. His family is really weird sometimes." He said. There was a small smile on his face which indicated that he was only partially serious. Lucy giggled. "I guess we're all kinda weird if you think about it. Oh! Here's my house. Natsu stopped by this morning on his way to school. If you want to you can come by too and we can all go together!" she offered. Gray shook his head. "It's alright. My sister drives me to school in the morning before going to work." Lucy shrugged and waved goodbye to Gray as she walked into her house.

Lucy ran up the stairs to talk with her mother. She entered her mom's room after knocking softly. Her mother was awake when she entered and Lucy took the chair next to the bed. "Hello Mama. I am going to go to Romeo's game but I wanted to see if there was anything you needed first." She said. Layla Heartfilia smiled softly at her daughter. She was immensely proud of Lucy for taking on so much since she got sick. She knew it couldn't be easy taking care of Romeo, the house, herself and her sick mother and still finding things to smile about. Layla desperately wished she was not dying so that Lucy wouldn't have to work so hard and could just live a normal teenage life. She had been thinking long and hard about how they were going to make it once she did pass on. The thought had occurred to her to ask one of her friends from college to come and stay with them. It would be easier on Lucy if she didn't have to act like the master of the house and it would ease Layla's mind if she knew her children would be taken care of in the future. So when her daughter came in to talk to her, she handed her a note. "I want you to mail this Lucy." She said softly. Lucy nodded, taking the note. She didn't ask what it was about, not wanting to use up her mother's strength. Layla closed her eyes and squeezed her daughter's hand. "I want you to know I'm proud of you. Keep a smile on your face Lucy dear. If you can do that everything can get better." She said. Lucy nodded, holding in the tears she wanted to cry. "Tell me how Romeo's game goes alright?" she asked. Lucy nodded and stood. When she reached the door, she turned back to her mother. "I love you Mama." She said. Layla smiled softly. "I love you too." She replied.

Lucy went back down the stairs and filled a bottle with ice and water before leaving to go see her brother's game. She reached the field just as the game was getting started. Romeo wasn't a starter but that was just because he was only in the sixth grade. She went to the bench and handed him the water. "I forgot this when you left." She said as she did. Romeo just nodded his thanks. When a game got started, he focused on that instead of everything around him. Lucy went to the bleachers to sit and watch the game. The middle school had a strong soccer team. They were playing a pretty good team so the game was pretty gripping. Lucy tried to forget about everything that had happened that day and just lose herself in the world of soccer. She yelled the loudest when the coach let her brother play. He played a great game. You could tell Romeo was in his element as he passed the ball to a player down the field.

The game ended about an hour later. Romeo's team had won but barely. The game winning goal was scored just thirty seconds before the end of the second half. Romeo hadn't scored any goals but he still played a great game. He was a very versatile player being able to play defensive positions as well as offensive ones. Lucy made her way across the field to help Romeo with his belongings. She carried his bag while he carried his lunch box and practice ball. He waved to his coach, letting him know he wouldn't be going back to the school with them. It was hard for Lucy and Romeo to play these kinds of sports because of the away games. Home games were usually played close to where they lived but away games were played all over the place and the school was rather far away. Lucy knew when her brother had an away game she was going to have to take her bike since she couldn't legally drive yet.

Romeo was pumped after his game. Winning does that to a person. The walk home was filled with talk of his plays and things the team did. Lucy kept a smile on her face as she talked to her brother. He talked animatedly, jumping up and down at the exciting parts and pumping his fist in the air repeatedly. Lucy realized that they were turning onto Ember Lane a few minutes later. The field was just three blocks from their house and the quickest way back was to cut through Ember Lane to get back to Strawberry Drive. Lucy and Romeo had played many soccer games on that field and she never realized she'd been taking this walk home since she was seven. About half way down the street she saw a house with a scarlet door. _That must be Natsu's house!_ She thought to herself. She looked across the street and saw Gray out in his driveway shooting hoops. He noticed them and waved, catching the rebound and coming to the end of his driveway. "What are you doing here Lucy?" he asked. Lucy stopped walking and said, "I went to my brother's soccer game and the field is just a block away from here. This is my brother Romeo. Romeo this is Gray." She said. Romeo grinned at Gray. Gray chuckled and said, "I take it you won your game?" Romeo nodded. "Yeah it was awesome!" he said. Lucy giggled at his reaction then said, "We have to get back and have dinner but I'll see you tomorrow Gray?" Gray nodded. "Sure. Bye Lucy! Bye Romeo!" he called as they continued on their way home. Lucy turned and waved.

They were almost to the house when Romeo asked, "How was mom?" Lucy flinched. He must have been able to sense her quiet attitude. "She isn't doing so well today." She replied. "She was awake when I came home but she was… well she was really weak and her energy was low. I could tell she was trying to keep up a happy face while I was there." Romeo nodded. Lucy put her hand on his shoulder and said, "Let's just spend as much time with her in these next couple of months as we can." He nodded again and tried to smile. Lucy wished she could just take all of this away from him. He was so young and he shouldn't have to go through all of this. She frowned as she thought of her good for nothing father who'd just walked out on them.

Lucy made a quick dinner for the two of them and Romeo soon disappeared to his room to do some homework and get in some last minute gaming. Lucy sat at the kitchen table with the day's mail. She noticed the pile of new bills and her stomach sank. She knew the account her mother had saved up was not going to last long. It was time to stop thinking positively about her mother's condition and realize that she was going to have to prepare for the worst. She needed to get a job. Lucy sighed. This was going to be harder than she thought. It was another thing to add to the growing list of her responsibilities. She decided she would get right on that as soon as school was over the next day. As that thought crossed through her mind her heart sank even further. This would mean she would have to give up soccer practices. And she might not have time to play on the team come spring. That pill was harder to swallow. Soccer was her life and her escape from all the bad things that had happened to her. Lucy frowned. If it was something she had to do to make sure Romeo and she had a good life then she would just have to do it. Lucy pushed the bills away and started on her math work. As she had for countless other nights, Lucy fell asleep at the table.

**This poor girl has to go throught a lot! Well that's the end of the second chapter! I hope you enjoyed it and please leave a review before you go! I would love to hear what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3

**So because it is Christmas I've decided to update bomb this story. This means over the next few minutes, or hours (depending on how many times I get called away from my computor) I will be updating this story with all the chapters I've written in my spare time. There is also an update on Gang Busting for those who haven't seen it yet. **

**This chapter was hard to write because there are so many emotions to get across. I hope I did a good job but leave reviews with comments!**

Work… And It's Consequences

As it turned out, getting a job wasn't too hard. The thing was it wasn't a very good job. The man she worked for made her work long hours and her job involved a lot of back breaking lifting. She worked in the local supermarket and her job was stocking shelves. The stockers usually came in at night so that the store looked fully stocked the next morning. It was the only job she could get that gave her time to go to school and work at the same time. Romeo was upset when he found out that she was coming home late not because of soccer but because she was working. She made him promise he wouldn't tell anyone because she didn't want the attention. Besides, it might also mean that someone from social services may come to their house and separate them. At first she felt good about making money for them and she felt like maybe she could make it work. But the work was much harder than anything she'd ever been used to. She didn't want to give up and her boss sure wouldn't let her take breaks.

As much as she tried to hide it, the hard work began to take its toll. You see, not only was Lucy working hard at the supermarket but when she got home she didn't stop. She studied because she needed to keep her grades up. She had to make sure nobody knew how bad things were. The only person who knew was Levy and she was having a hard time keeping quiet as she saw what was happening to her friend. One other person began to notice before anyone else. That person was Natsu. He could see that something was not right with his friend. At this point, he'd been to their house a few times and he and Lucy were getting a lot closer than she was with many of their other friends. In fact the only person in their group that Lucy was closer with was Levy. Natsu was learning her quirks and he could tell that something was not right. He had learned about Lucy's mom when he went to one of Romeo's soccer games and Lucy accidentally told him so at first he thought that it was her mother's worsening condition that worried her but he could tell that it was getting much worse.

Lucy was starting to zone out and she was moving slower than normal. She almost seemed to be sore all the time and she had started skipping soccer practices and running out of school as soon as the bell rang. Natsu missed walking home with her and Levy and sometimes Gray when his sister couldn't pick him up. One day at school about a month after Lucy started working Natsu confronted her. He grabbed her arm and dragged her into a little used side hall underneath the staircase. Lucy's eyes were wide with surprise. Natsu didn't usually act like that. "Lucy what is wrong with you?! You've been acting different and it's really bothering me!" he said. Lucy gasped quietly at his words but she couldn't bring herself to tell him what she was doing and why she was doing it. She didn't want to look weak in front of him and besides he would just tell her she had to quit the job but she couldn't do that. "I-I'm fine Natsu. I'm just a little stressed right now." She said. Natsu frowned at her. "Lucy you know you can talk to me about anything right?" he asked. Lucy nodded. "I know." She said quietly. Natsu's eyes gained a pained look in them. "Then why won't you tell me what's going on?" he asked. Lucy pushed past him and began to walk back down the hall way. She turned about half way down and said, "There's nothing to tell."

That night, Lucy had to work a double shift for a worker who was sick. She was going to get overtime pay so it was worth it right? It didn't feel worth it as she lifted a crate of oranges that should be carried by a strong man if not a forklift. She hauled it to its place before a wave of dizziness washed over her. Lucy held her hand and counted to ten as it faded. These waves were becoming more frequent but if she fainted on the job she could get fired and then there would be no more money for Romeo and for her mother's pills. Lucy barely made it through her shift and she was seeing double as she walked home. She knew she needed to sleep but there was a huge science test the next day and she needed to study for it. She turned the key in the lock of her door after figuring out which version of the door was the correct one. As she walked in she heard shuffling. She glanced up to find Romeo standing with his arms crossed. "Go to bed sis. This is getting out of hand and you're going to hurt yourself if you don't rest. Please." He said. His voice broke on the last word even though he was trying to be stern with her. Lucy shook her head which turned out to be a very bad idea because now there were five Romeos and not just two. "I have to make an A on the science test so that I can keep my job. The boss will fire me if I make low marks." She said. Romeo's frown deepened. "Lucy you're starting to scare me with this kind of thing. How much more of this can you possibly take? Why don't you just ask for-" At this point Lucy's body had reached its max. To put it simply, she just shut down. In reality, Lucy collapsed on the floor in front of Romeo right in the middle of his rant. Her brother's eyes widened. He dropped next to her. "Lucy? Lucy!" he cried. His sister was barely breathing and her skin was burning to the touch. Beads of sweat were breaking out all over her skin and she was shaking. Romeo began to panic as he realized that Lucy needed some serious help. He knew she would be mad if he went and told anyone what she'd been doing but… it was that or her life and that was an obvious choice to him. Romeo bolted. He covered two blocks of ground faster than the world's fastest sprinter. When he reached the scarlet red door he banged on it screaming for somebody to open the door. The door was flung open by an older man who looked similar to Natsu only his hair was red not pink. A woman with blue hair was coming down the stairs wrapping a bathrobe around herself. These were Natsu and Wendy's parents. Romeo and Wendy were good friends but right now Romeo could only think to find Natsu.

"Natsu!" He screamed. Igneel, Natsu's father, tried to calm him down but Romeo would not be calmed. "NATSU!" he screamed again. The door to a bedroom slammed open and both Natsu and Wendy came running down the stairs. "What! What! Romeo what are you doing here! What happened?!" Natsu yelled to be heard over Romeo's hysterical screaming. Romeo's gaze locked on Natsu and he, with inhuman strength, ripped himself from Igneel's grasp and ran to Natsu. Now that Natsu was here he stopped screaming but tears were streaming down his face and he had an iron grip on Natsu's arm. "Lucy's dying Natsu! She's dying and I… I don't know what to do! She just fell over and she's barely breathing and she's shaking and she sweating and she's burning up and she isn't gonna make it if we don't hurry!" he said, still frantic. Natsu's face became a mask of terror and pain. Igneel and Grandine (Natsu's mom) were speechless. Natsu grabbed keys from the ring on the wall and threw them at his father. "Meet me there. Two blocks down with the big Magnolia tree out front." He said. Igneel caught them and began to run for the garage. Natsu grabbed Romeo and bolted.

They reached the house faster than Romeo had run over in the first place. The door was still open since Romeo hadn't bothered to close it in his panic. Lucy was on the ground where he'd left her and she was still shaking, sweating, burning and barely breathing. Natsu took one look and said, "Fuck!" Then he dropped down and cradled her on his lap. "Romeo, get ice in a bag and a blanket. Hurry." Natsu was scared to death but he knew he didn't have time to panic. Romeo got back with the items he'd requested just as Igneel arrived. Natsu rushed Lucy into the car and made Romeo sit up front with his father. He rode in the back with Lucy. He wrapped her in the blanket and then used the ice to attempt to cool her off, making sure to remove it for short periods of time so she didn't heat further to warm the spot the ice rested on. Igneel was majorly speeding but even he was scared by the urgency of the situation. Wendy and Grandine were going to meet them at the hospital later and tell Lucy's mother what was happening. When they reached the hospital Natsu didn't wait for the car to come to a complete stop as he ran into the emergency entrance with Romeo close on his heels.

He slammed the doors open gaining the attention of the other nurses at the emergency station. "She is barely breathing and she has a really high temperature. She needs to be seen right now!" he yelled. A nurse rushed towards them and assessed the situation quickly. She ushered them to a room while calling for a doctor stat. The doctor arrived a minute later and called for an ice bath for Lucy. At this point they made both Natsu and Romeo leave and not just because Lucy was going to be naked in the ice bath but because the situation was rather dire and they needed room to work. Romeo was still crying when they entered the waiting room. There they saw Wendy and Grandine sitting and waiting for them. Grandine held out her arms and Romeo sank into them even though he was a big kid. He was so scared and needed to be comforted. Natsu sat with his hands clasped together fiercely. Wendy sat next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. He knew it was a gesture meant to be comforting but he just couldn't calm down. Igneel came running in after he found a place to park. They sat quietly for a few minutes before Romeo who had finally stopped crying said, "Levy." Natsu glanced at him. "You need to call Levy. She's been worried about my sister and… she needs to know about this. She would want to be here." Romeo explained quietly. Natsu knew he was right. He stood and walked a few paces away and dialed Levy's number.

Levy picked up on the third ring. She sounded tired. "Natsu? What is it?" she said, a yawn evident in her voice. "Levy it's Lucy. She collapsed in her home and Romeo came to get me. We're at the hospital. It's bad, you need to get here." He said. He heard Levy gasp. "I'm coming! Please stay with her!" she said, then she hung up without bothering to listen to his reply. Having called Levy, Natsu decided to call Gray, Erza, Mira and Cana. They were all her friends and deserved to know if something happened to her. And all of them knew about her mother's condition. Levy arrived first and threw herself into Natsu's arms. She was sobbing. Natsu didn't quite know what to do to comfort her but he did hold her which seemed to help her. He was relieved of her when Mira arrived with Cana who had begged a ride off of her. They held the crying girl even though they too were shedding a few tears. Gray came a few minutes after that having gotten the bus over from three blocks away from the neighborhood. He came over to Natsu right away. "Do we know anything yet?" he asked. Natsu shook his head. They all sat down to wait it out.

It seemed like an eternity before a doctor came out to talk to them. A doctor did come and Natsu, Romeo, Levy and Mira stood when he entered. The doctor answered the question in their eyes first. "She's going to be alright. It seems like she's worked herself into exhaustion. Her body just couldn't handle any more so it just began to shut down. She could have died but we got her through. Her fever has gone down and she is breathing normally. She is currently asleep. There is one thing that concerns us. The muscles in her back are ripped up. They have been worked way too much. We'll have to keep her here for a few days until they heal and until she gets some rest but the worst is over." A collective sigh of relief was released by everyone present in that waiting room. Romeo asked to see her and the doctor said groups of three could go in and visit her for a total of ten minutes each then they all needed to go home and get some rest of their own. Natsu, Romeo and Levy were the first. Natsu and Levy sat on either side of Lucy while Romeo stood by his sister's head. She was sleeping peacefully while a heart monitor was beeping steadily keeping track of her life force. There was an IV hooked into her arm. Natsu watched her face as she slept then he said, "Which one of you is going to tell me why her back is ripped up and why she even ended up like this?" Levy flinched at the ice in his tone but Romeo just clenched his fist.

Romeo spoke after gathering his thoughts. "She made me swear not to say anything. She doesn't want handouts and she doesn't want anyone's pity. She wants to prove that she can do things by herself." He said. Natsu beckoned him to continue while Levy grasped her best friend's hand and waited patiently. Slowly, Romeo spilled the entire story. He told Natsu about how when their mother died they would have no legal guardian and they might be separated. He told him about how Lucy refused to let that happen and was doing everything she could to take care of him. He told Natsu about Lucy making them dinner and working that terrible job so that they could pay the bills and not attract the attention of social services. He spoke of how scared Lucy was that the world would crash around her ears and she would be separated from him. And of how he was scared of the same things but didn't want her to know so that she wouldn't worry even more about him. At the end of his story, Romeo looked at Natsu to find him with his fists clenched. "What kind of asshole hires a girl to do that kind of work?!" he demanded. Levy looked at him and said, "She can be quite persuasive when she wants something bad enough. He probably didn't have a choice. But I agree he is an asshole to make her do that kind of work. She is a strong girl but even most guys wouldn't be able to do that work."

Natsu really wanted to punch something or someone but he knew he would have to calm down. Their ten minutes was up and the family headed home, dropping Levy and Gray off so they wouldn't have to ride the bus. Natsu was going to skip school to visit Lucy again and nothing his parents could say would convince him otherwise. They knew it and so they decided to call the school the next morning and explain the situation. Romeo was to go to school and he would be informed if anything bad happened while he was there. The others promised to visit as soon as school was over. Erza had been called and though she couldn't come to the hospital that night due to circumstances unknown, she was also going to visit after school to make sure her new friend was alright. Romeo ran to his mother's sick room and assured her that Lucy was indeed alright and that there was no cause for alarm anymore. So the crisis was averted for now. All they had to do was wait until Lucy woke up.

**Please leave a review! I want to know how you felt about this chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

**While recovery is a long road, this is a short chapter. I didn't want to bore you but I needed to show some character development so... deal!**

Recovery Is A Long Road

Natsu, true to his determination, was at the hospital the next morning to start his vigil beside his best friend's side. He pulled up one of the chairs and sat down in it to wait for Lucy to wake up. He didn't know what he was going to say when she did finally open her eyes but mainly he just wanted her to open them. Romeo had gone to school reluctantly but Gray promised to take him to see his sister as soon as he was done with school. Erza had a car and she was going to drive Gray and Levy while Mira was driving Cana after school.

It was about one o'clock in the afternoon when Lucy finally opened her eyes. Natsu had her hand in his and was watching her face intently. Lucy opened her eyes slowly. When she registered where she was she shot into an upright position. "Shit!" she cried. Then she saw Natsu and her face drained of all color and she lay back in defeat. Besides, her back couldn't hold her up for that long. "I passed out didn't I?" she asked quietly. Natsu's grip on her hand tightened. "You nearly died. Lucy you _nearly died_." Natsu said. Lucy flinched at that. "Romeo was hysterical Lucy. He ran two blocks to come get me. You scared your mother too. She didn't know you were doing this but when she found out she became frantic. Lucy, Levy was crying! Even that bastard Gray was worried." Natsu told her. Lucy looked away. "What about you….?" She asked quietly. Natsu hung his head, his hair covering his eyes. "I'm confused." He said softly. Lucy turned back to face him, surprise on her face. She expected him to be angry or sad or something, anything but confused. Natsu took a breath and continued, "I thought we were friends. I thought you trusted me. But it's obvious that you don't because you couldn't even tell me that you and your brother might be put into foster care. You couldn't tell me that your mother didn't have too much more than a month left. You couldn't tell me that you had a job which was way more than you could handle. You couldn't just tell me!" Natsu took a ragged breath and Lucy felt something wet land on her hand. She gasped when she realized Natsu was crying.

"Natsu…" she whispered. "Why Lucy?" Natsu said, squeezing her hand in his. "Why couldn't you just tell me!" he asked desperately. His shoulders were shaking and tears were splashing down onto the edge of the bed. Lucy's eyes filled with tears of her own. "Because I was afraid." She said softly. Now Lucy was crying. "My dad walked out on us Natsu! He just left us alone and all he said was 'I just can't do it anymore.' He left when I was seven so Romeo was four. Mom got sick and he just couldn't do it. I loved him so much and I thought he was the best man in the universe. I wanted to find somebody just like him to be my own husband one day. And then he just left me. I'm afraid if I trust any more boys they'll just leave me alone." Lucy had turned her head away from Natsu as she spoke and tears were flowing down her face like a river. All of a sudden she felt strong, warm arms circle her and felt soft hair brush her cheeks. The smokey, piney smell of Natsu flowed over her which for some reason calmed her a bit. "It's ok now Lucy." Natsu whispered in her ear as her sobs began to recede. "I'm not going to leave you, I promise." Lucy buried her face in his shoulder and fisted her hands in his shirt as she finished crying.

As she'd been describing her fear to Natsu, he had wiped his tears away and listened with growing understanding to what she was saying. She was shaking with the sobs that wracked her body and he now understood just how much she'd gone through. That was what made him get up and hold her. She smelled of strawberries which for some reason made a peaceful feeling wash over him. She pulled him closer when she grabbed his shirt and he didn't care that her tears wet the collar of his shirt as long as she was alright. He pulled away when she finished crying but she wasn't done talking. She'd decided to trust him and he could tell it was hard by the determination she was giving off. He sat next to her as she told him everything. Every fear she had and every event that had happened to her to put it there. She spoke of Romeo and her time caring for him. She didn't stop until she was sure he knew everything. When she did stop speaking, Natsu smiled. "Thank you." He said.

**I am sorry about the shortness but if I continued on it wouldn't make as much sense. It had to be a new chapter for the next part of the story. And I thought it would bore you if I just described the time it took for her to recover completely. Leave a review if you're feeling generous!**

**CC22**


	5. Chapter 5

**Another update! I'm starting to run out of chapters so be ready for another wait but do enjoy this one. I made it super long to make up for the last one... I really hope you guys aren't upset about the shortness. I know I don't like it when authors post super short chapters!**

Welcome Back Lucy!

Lucy was allowed to leave the hospital a few days later but was told she was not to work that job again and she was not to put any weight on her back for several more weeks. When the muscles had healed sufficiently, she was to incrementally bring the weight back. She sighed as she stood in front of her closet to choose her outfit. Her back was sore but manageable and she knew it would be a nuisance to have somebody else carry her things everywhere. She had decided she would just carry them on her arm so she didn't have to bother anyone. Lucy ended up choosing a green top with khaki shorts and a black belt. She wore Converses on her feet and a green bracelet on her wrist. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail and fixed it with a green ribbon.

Lucy walked into the kitchen to prepare breakfast and found it already made. Romeo was sitting proudly at the table with two plates of eggs and bacon with toast on the side. Lucy's jaw dropped and she gasped. Romeo laughed and said, "I learned a thing or two from watching you. You aren't supposed to do much bending over and the skillet is underneath the stove so I figured I'd make breakfast this morning." Lucy ruffled his hair and dug in to her meal. The doorbell rang a few minutes later and Romeo ran to answer it. Lucy listened as the door opened but became nervous when he said, "You're not Natsu." She stood and went to the door to see a middle aged man with hair that looked rather purple. He had a moustache and carried a duffle bag. "Is this where Layla Heartfilia lives?" he asked. Lucy stepped in front of her brother and said, "It is, what can I do for you?" She didn't see a clipboard or anything else that could be official to indicate that he was from social services but she wasn't going to take any chances. "My name is Macao. I am a good friend of Layla's. She wrote to me and said she was sick and that she might not make it. She was worried about her children not having a legal guardian and asked if I could help. I am here to see what I can do." The man said. He held up a letter which Lucy recognized as the one her mother had instructed her to mail about a month back. She let him in and closed the door.

"I have to go to school in a few minute but Mama is upstairs and to the left. I'm Lucy and this is Romeo. I'll be back later tonight but when I come back I think we need to talk." Lucy said. She knew she probably sounded a bit too forward with this man but she was thinking of her family and protecting them was top priority. Macao nodded and headed up the stairs to see his old friend. The doorbell rang again and this time Lucy answered it. Natsu stood at the door with his goofy grin on his face. "Morning Luce!" he said. _Luce? Is that a nickname for me?_ Lucy wondered briefly. She smiled back at him and let him in. He followed her to the kitchen where Romeo had finished making lunches for both of them. Lucy smiled at her brother before hugging him. "You're a huge help little brother!" she said. Romeo blushed a bit and pushed her back, embarrassed. Lucy turned back to Natsu and saw that he had shouldered her bag. "I can take that." She said, reaching for her bag. Natsu shook his head. "No way! I heard what the doctor said. You aren't supposed to carry anything for a couple weeks!" he said. Lucy frowned in Romeo's direction but he just shrugged and headed out the door.

Natsu began to follow and Lucy realized she'd be left behind if she didn't follow so she left, locking the door behind her. She waved to Romeo and once they had picked up Levy, Lucy said, "So some guy came to the house this morning. He says he's a good friend of Mama's and that she asked him to help us. He had the letter Mama asked me to send so I let him in. He's gonna spend the day here and possibly the night." Levy turned to her best friend and grabbed her arm. "Lucy that's great! You won't have to worry anymore!" she said. Natsu could tell that something was bothering her. "What's the catch?" he asked. Lucy glanced over at him, rather surprised at how he could tell that she was worried. "Well what if he can't? I mean, this isn't the first time help has been offered. We've had people who say they are gonna help us and then turn their backs or come up with some reason why they can't. I mean, I can't think of how Macao will help us." Lucy replied. The trio sobered up after that though Levy tried to think positively.

That day, Lucy was Miss Popular! People she didn't even know would ask how she was and all of the soccer girls told her to take it easy and skip the training for a while. Even Kristy wanted her to make sure she was back in top shape before she continued. Mirajane mothered her whenever she saw her in the hall and made sure she ate every last bit of her lunch. Natsu carried her stuff everywhere which earned her several jealous looks from classmates. Lucy was not one for large amounts of attention and she kept her head down for the whole day. She tried to answer the popular questions but when it got to be too much at the end of the day she escaped to the library and hid in the back corner, sitting in an easy chair and pulling her legs up to her chest. It was Levy who found her, dragging Natsu with her. "I figured you'd be in here since you love books almost as much as I do." She said as she came up to her best friend. Lucy looked relieved to see them. Levy giggled at the expression on her face and joked, "Maybe you should hold a press conference to quiet the masses!" Lucy shook her head frantically. "No way! I don't want all this attention!" she cried. Natsu laughed at her then. "Come on. You need to get home so you can deal with your guest. I'll make sure you get out of here alright. Levy you make sure nobody tries to grab her ok?" Levy nodded.

About halfway out of the library a huge crowd found them and began pressing into them shouting random questions at Lucy. She really did feel like a celebrity and she hated it. Natsu was shoving people away but they were making slow progress. Then two people shoved their way through the crowd and latched on to Lucy. She almost screamed until she realized that they were Gray and Erza. If anyone could clear a crowd, it would be Erza. Turning to Gray she said, "Pick Lucy up and on my signal, run. I'll have Natsu follow with her bags while I deal with these people. Mira is waiting with her car for you three. Levy, try to keep up with them. Natsu will get you if you start to fall behind." Erza's orders never went ignored. They all nodded and Lucy wrapped her arms around Gray's neck as he picked her up bridal style. Levy frowned in concern and said, "Be careful about her back!" Gray nodded and Lucy smiled at Levy to thank her. Erza had a dangerous aura surrounding her. "EVERYBODY GET OUT OF MY WAY!" she yelled. Those closest to her stiffened in surprise and a path was cleared which was Gray's signal to run. The students who were brave, or just plain stupid, began to ask Erza why she did that. Some even asked her the questions they wanted to ask Lucy.

Lucy's grip on Gray tightened but a smile was making its way onto her face. The escape was rather thrilling. Natsu caught up with them in a matter of seconds with Levy not far behind him. They made it to Mira's car where Levy jumped into the front seat and Natsu threw Lucy's stuff in the trunk before jumping into the back with Gray and Lucy. The crowd had notice that they'd made their escape but since they were in the middle of a harsh punishment courtesy of Erza and so they couldn't follow. Lucy opened the window of Mira's car as she started the engine. "Thank you Erza!" she yelled to the scarlet haired Student Council President. Erza paused in her punishment to raise one hand in acknowledgement of her thanks. Mira drove off and Levy gave her directions to her house. Mira knew where Natsu and Gray lived and Natsu had already described where Lucy lived so she just needed to know where Levy lived.

They arrived at Levy's house pretty fast and she hopped out after thanking Mira for the ride. Mira smiled her soft motherly smile at the small blunette and waved as she pulled away. Lucy was next and Natsu decided he'd get out with her since Romeo wasn't home yet so there wasn't anyone to carry her stuff into her house. Lucy thanked Mira for the ride to which she replied, "It was no problem! In fact, it was kinda fun. It was like rescuing a princess." Lucy blushed a bit at being called a princess but she waved as Mira drove off with Gray. As Gray got out of the car, Mira said in passing, "Don't you think Natsu and Lucy would make a good couple?" Gray paled visibly at her statement. By now, everybody knew of Mira's matchmaking side and how dangerous it could be. "You should come with a warning label!" he said as he waved at her. Mira drove away giggling though anyone who heard her would be shaking in their snow boots.

Natsu followed Lucy to her room where she wanted her stuff put away. On the stairs they passed Macao who smiled kindly at Lucy. Lucy didn't return the smile, she just looked at him before continuing on up the stairs. They reached her room and Natsu said, "Don't you think you should give him a chance?" Lucy shrugged. "I've given every single one of them a chance and they all blew it back in my face." She said. Natsu knew she was referring to boys in general. "You let me be your friend and it looks like you're giving Gray a chance." He pointed out. Lucy shot him a look that clearly expressed her displeasure at his observance. He just smirked. "You guys are different. You actually worried about me when I got sick and you treat me different from all the other ones that I've known." She said. Natsu let it drop at that. He didn't want to push it and risk her regretting that she'd let him get as close as he'd already gotten in a month.

The front door opened again and Lucy went to the landing with Natsu to welcome home her little brother. Romeo grinned and waved at the two of them. Ever since her collapsing incident, Romeo had begun to look up to Natsu and idolize him. Natsu didn't know this until Lucy told him and she warned him about taking advantage of this new follower. So Natsu would try to be there for Romeo as well as Lucy. He didn't know what it was about this family but he felt like he was slowly becoming a part of it. Macao came out of the living room to see who'd come back and Lucy decided it was high time for the conversation she wanted to have with him. Natsu read the expression on her face and said, "I'm gonna head home now Luce. Just call me if you need anything ok?" Lucy nodded and impulsively hugged him before he left. "Thanks for carrying my stuff all day." She said. Natsu's cheeks turned a bit pink but he just shrugged it off.

After Natsu left, Lucy's face adopted a serious expression and she turned to face Macao. The man in question laughed nervously at her expression and said, "Well I'm guessing you want to have that talk you mentioned this morning?" Lucy nodded and she Macao and Romeo went into the living room. After they sat down for a few minutes just sizing each other up, Lucy said, "So what brings you here? You said something about helping us this morning but so many people have said that and did nothing so forgive me if I don't believe much of what you say." Macao looked stunned. "Is she always this blunt?" he asked Romeo. Romeo took his sister's side in most things so he just shrugged and moved closer to his sister. Macao could tell this was going to be a tough conversation. Not that Layla hadn't warned him. She'd told him that morning that Lucy was very protective of the family ever since her father walked out on them. Macao felt so bad for these kids. He'd always wanted to have kids of his own but his wife divorced him years ago before they had had any kids so he never had the chance.

"Well I'll start by saying I have known Layla since we were kids in school. We may have gone our separate ways but life hasn't been too kind to any of us. I was married and really wanted kids but my wife divorced me saying she was bored of being a married woman. I own a small business and make enough money to support a few people comfortably. I got a letter from Layla about a month ago explaining the details of your situation. Layla has always been there for me especially through the divorce. I knew I had to help her but I didn't know how. I thought of something a few weeks ago and that's when I tried to come here. I ran into a few business roadblocks but I've overcome all this to get here. So I have a proposition for you to consider. I want to adopt you two." Macao said.

There was a moment of tense silence where Romeo turned to his sister to find that she had a stunned expression on her face. Lucy shook herself to clear her head and took a breath before saying, "What exactly would adopting us entail?" Macao had been expecting this question. "You two would have me as your legal guardian. I can work with my computer to manage the business from here so you wouldn't have to move away from the school and friends you've gotten used to. Lucy, you wouldn't have to take on all the things you have been taking on. And I would finally have the kids I've always wanted to have." He explained. Lucy considered this for a few more minutes. Romeo was beginning to look hopeful but she still didn't know how far this would go. He might just be saying this and then walk out like their father. "It seems way too good to be true." She said.

Macao nodded at this statement. "I know we shouldn't rush into this decision but I'm going to say right now that I don't intend to back out on this. However, I know this is a lot for you two to take in so I propose that we take a couple of weeks to experiment with how this would work. If at the end of those two weeks, you decide you don't want me to adopt you, I'll respect your decision and try to find another way to help you out. If you decide that having me adopt you wouldn't be so bad then we can move from there." He said. Lucy had to admit, he was being very fair about all of this. He wasn't pointing out the obvious which was that if he didn't adopt them they were basically out of options. Lucy decided that the least she could do for the man was give him a chance. Besides, Romeo was looking very hopeful and she didn't want to dash all his hopes. "Alright. Let's do the trial period and I'll try to be as fair as possible. There's a guest room across from Romeo's room you can use if my mother hasn't told you about it. I'm going to go over to Natsu's to work on homework and Romeo is gonna come with me because I'm not supposed to carry stuff anywhere because of my back. We'll be back by ten so don't worry about making us dinner. Whatever is in the fridge or pantry is open for you to use." She said. Macao couldn't help but nod at her words. He felt more like the child in that situation than the one who was proposing to become their parent.

Romeo ran up to get Lucy's stuff. He knew that the Dragneel family would be fine with having them over especially since Lucy had just gotten out of the hospital. He also knew that the walk over was an excuse for her to have an honest and private talk with him. They were about twenty feet from the house when Lucy looked down at him. He had her backpack around his shoulders and he glanced up to meet her eyes. "It would solve all our problems Lucy. I know you don't want to repeat what Dad did to us but I don't think he's going to do that. He seemed sincere. I'm alright with giving him the trial period but I'm all for this Macao adopting us. At least that way we would still be together and we could stay at home just like we are now." He said. Lucy nodded. "I don't want to jump into something without thinking it over first. And I want you to be sure that this is something you're alright with." She said. Romeo smiled at his big sister. "I know. But let's give him an honest chance." He said. Lucy nodded and they walked the rest of the way in silence.

Lucy rang the doorbell and Wendy answered the door. "Lucy!" she cried. Then she turned to the stairs. "Natsu! Lucy's here!" She let Romeo and Lucy in and she and Romeo ran off to do something. It was probably video game related since Romeo had become friends with her through the games. Natsu came down the stairs in a hurry. He saw her bag and grabbed it and her hand, dragging her up to his room. Lucy barely had time to wave to his parents who smiled at her and waved back. Once they made it to his room, which was a mess, he closed the door and made room for her at his desk chair. Lucy sat down and he looked at her expectantly. Lucy sighed, knowing what he wanted, and said, "Let me put Levy on speaker so I can tell you what happened." Lucy dialed her best friend's number and Levy picked up right away. "So how did it go Lu?" she asked. Lucy giggled and said, "You're on speaker and I'm at Natsu's so say hi!" Natsu called his own greeting and Levy said, "Hey Natsu! Now Lu, spill!" Lucy told them everything that had happened during the conversation with Macao. Levy squealed at the mention of adoption. Natsu had a broad smile on his face and he gave her a thumbs up while Levy rambled on about how she should let him do it because it would solve all their problems.

After assuring Levy that she would keep her posted, Lucy hung up and she and Natsu got to work on the real reason she'd come over to his house for. She was a bit behind in some of the classes they share so Natsu was helping her by explaining things. They finished close to nine that night and Lucy collected Romeo before bidding the Dragneels goodbye. Grandine gave her son a look and so he said, "Lemme walk you back." Lucy didn't object because she'd noticed the look Grandine had sent. They walked in silence since both Lucy and Romeo were pretty tired out. When they got to the door, Romeo went inside while Lucy thanked Natsu and sent him home.

Lucy lay in bed thinking about the events of the day. She knew if the kids a school didn't get the answers they needed they would either keep pestering her or they would come to their own conclusions. Each of those options could be equally as bad so she settled on a third option to quiet the school. The next morning, students gathered around the bulletin board in the central hall. On it was a letter which explained Lucy's story while thanking them for their concern. Mira read it and smiled. The girl really knew how to make people like her. Everyone who read the letter was satisfied and some went to her first period classroom before classes to wave or wish her well. Lucy was sitting on top of her desk surrounded by Natsu, Gray, Levy and a few others who were all talking to her about various random things. There was a bright smile on her face, one that could make anyone want to gather around her and talk. She was quickly becoming the most popular girl in the freshman class and was even gaining notice from upperclassmen. Yes, Lucy Heartfilia looked like the happiest girl in the world.

But whenever someone is this happy, they must be taken down a few pegs right? Life has a funny way of making hills and valleys. Lucy was about to hit a huge valley and it would take a huge effort to get her out of it.

**Has anyone noticed that about life? That it just HAS to be bad after you're on cloud nine? I got really sick right after I learned that I'd finished my first semester with all As so I was feeling pretty down when I wrote this chapter. I hope you all enjoyed her time back.**

**CC22**


	6. Chapter 6

**So the title says it all but please don't skip this chapter! It has some info in it that you might be confused by later if you miss it. Besides... I worked so hard...**

Death In The Family

One week into the two week trial and Levy was nervous for her friend. Macao had been very kind and supportive of Lucy and Romeo as their mother grew weaker. Levy knew that Mrs. Heartfilia didn't have much time left. There was even speculation that Lucy would drop out of the talent show because of it. Lucy said she wouldn't, that her mother wanted her to sing but Levy wasn't so certain. She wished time would reverse and they could go back to at least a week ago. Lucy had come to Levy one night to sleep over and report on Macao. The man was sincere in his wish to adopt them which was stunning to Lucy who hadn't had the best experience with the men in her life. Natsu and Gray were trying to change that but Macao was the one Levy was watching. In her opinion, if Macao messed up, Lucy would never trust a man again, maybe not even Natsu.

So far though, Macao was doing great. He told Lucy that his business was a restaurant and boy could he cook! His food was always amazing and it was such a relief that Lucy didn't have to cook anymore. Macao could also do a bit of cleaning though Lucy still did most of that since she was better at it. He treated them respectfully and knew that he could never replace a parent so instead he acted as a guide. Romeo already loved him and even came to him for advice instead of Lucy. This hurt Lucy at first until Natsu pointed out that the boy needed advice that could only come from a man. Levy had been over at Lucy's house two days ago and learned that Macao had taken over dealing with the doctors and paying the bills. He'd moved most of them to his name and had more of his things shipped over to the house. Lucy wasn't complaining and it was really looking like she might be alright with him living with them just three days into the experiment.

Levy had to commend the man for what he did to seal the deal. He drove Lucy to all of Romeo's soccer games. Even the ones several towns over. He made it a point to join her at every game and to cheer for Romeo and his team. While this meant a lot to Romeo, it meant even more to Lucy because their real father never did that. Macao also knew quite a bit about soccer. Though he'd never played, he enjoyed the game and had learned about it enough to know what the field calls meant and what positions both Romeo and Lucy played. He could talk soccer with the two and that, in Levy's opinion, was what made Lucy agree to the adoption a whole week early. Though their future was now taken care of, through this week Mrs. Heartfilia's condition rapidly deteriorated. She now didn't open her eyes and was not able to talk to her children or Macao. Lucy tried to put up the strong façade but Levy, Natsu, Gray, Erza and Mira could see straight through it. Out of respect to her, they said nothing of it. This was why Levy was worried for her friend. She just continued to be there for her friend as a shoulder to cry on.

Lucy, on the other hand, was getting ready to tell Macao that she'd made her decision. She decided to do it over one of Macao's fabulous dinners. Having a chef for an adoptive father was going to be something easy to get used to. The three of them sat around the table eating when Lucy put her fork down. Macao looked up at her, wondering if she didn't like what he'd made. She met his gaze with a determined look in her eyes and said, "I have something to say." Now Romeo looked up at her and both he and Macao put down their utensils and waited for her to gather her thoughts. "I feel like this week went really well and… well you've done nothing to prove you don't mean what you say. You've starting making amazing food for us and you try to clean. You take me to Romeo's games and you can even talk soccer with us. So… I've decided that I don't need another week. If you still want to adopt us, and Romeo doesn't have any objections… I'll give my permission." She said. Romeo's entire face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Really Lu?!" he asked. She nodded and Romeo cheered. Macao was staring at her, stunned. "I-I don't know what to say!" he exclaimed. Lucy's cheeks turned pink with mild embarrassment. "Just say you'll sign the papers!" she said, not meeting his eyes.

Macao reached over and grasped Lucy's hand, making her look at him in surprise. "Thank you." He said. "I promise I'll do my best!" Lucy's blush deepened and she moved her hand to finish her dinner. "I just thought you shouldn't have to wait to know when I've made up my mind." She said. Macao didn't say anything more. He finished his dinner and went to call some officials. The paperwork had been drawn up previously and all they had to do was send two witnesses over to watch him sign. The witnesses arrived about an hour later and the papers were signed. They would have to wait about a week for processing and the office would call him again when it was official.

…

The wait was agonizing to Macao but Lucy just continued as normal. She told everyone at school about her decision and they were all happy for the two of them. For her close friends, it was a relief because now they didn't have to worry that they might lose their friend. A week later, the office called to tell them that the processing was successful and that Macao was now their legal guardian. Not surprisingly, Lucy's father didn't have anything to say about it. Lucy went up to tell her mother the good news with Romeo. She was amazed to find her mother awake. "Lucy…" her mother whispered. Lucy rushed to the bed and said, "Mama don't try to talk. It's official. Macao adopted us so you don't have to worry." Layla smiled softly. "Good…" she said. "I didn't know how much longer I could wait." Lucy's eyes widened at the words. "Mama…" she said. Romeo ran to get Macao. "You're going to be fine Lucy. I trust Macao. I'm sorry I won't be there anymore to support you. Please know that I'll always watch over you." Layla said. "Mama please! Don't say this!" Lucy said, distress entering her voice. "We knew it was going to happen Lucy. Take care of your brother. And don't forget to smile, you're beautiful when you smile." Layla whispered. Her eyes fell shut and her chest slowed until she was no longer breathing. "Mama…" Lucy whispered. "Mama!" she cried. Layla's hand was cold in her own. Macao rushed in with Romeo but they were too late. Romeo immediately began to cry, burying his face in Macao's embrace.

As hard as Lucy tried, she could not cry. Mechanically, she stood and went to her room, closing the door softly. Lucy pulled out her phone but couldn't bear to call anyone so she sent Natsu, Gray, Mira, Levy, Cana, and Erza a text that merely read, "She's gone." Five minutes later the doorbell rang. Lucy heard Macao answer it and greet the two at the door before footsteps were pounding up the stairs. They didn't bother to knock, just ran into her room where Lucy was in fetal position on the bed. Natsu had expected her to be crying but she was just staring at the wall blankly. That scared him. Levy was on the bed in an instant holding her best friend and crying even though Lucy wasn't shedding a tear. Levy got Lucy to sit up where she leaned against Natsu while Levy tried to get her to say something, or even just blink. Mira and the rest arrived a few minutes later once they'd deciphered the news. Mira had tears in her eyes and Cana had brought some beer in case Lucy wanted to get plastered. That was Cana's way of dealing with grief.

Lucy finally did start speaking but it was mostly about what needed to be done and funeral preparations. Macao promised he was taking care of all of that but it was all Lucy could focus on. Eventually, the others went home but Natsu, Gray, Erza and Levy all stayed behind. Macao told them they could stay with Lucy for the night because even he was worried about her. Levy shared her bed while the others lay in blankets on the floor. The school offered to let Lucy have a few days off but she rejected that. She kept going to school but she lacked emotion. Someone suggested she quit the talent show and she just shook her head. It was in two days but there was no way Lucy was going to back out now. She would sing at that show if it killed her.

**Review! And look forward to the next one! I think there are four left. I'm ending this update bomb with a Christmas chapter! Look forward to it!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Actually it was the coming scene that inspired this story. I thought it up one night when I was waiting to fall asleep and it slowly evolved into this story. At first, it was gonna be a oneshot but I kept adding details and stuff and it got so big I decided to make it a chapter story. Please enjoy it even though writing it made me cry! (No joke there, I really did start shedding some tears while writing this.)**

**Oh and as for the song she sings, I found it while watching Sailor Moon videos on YouTube and it was so perfect! I don't know who wrote it or who sings it but credit to them. I don't own this song. I also wanted to give credit to whoever made that video. And I mean the original version. It was an amazing video which also brought tears to my eyes, though maybe I'm just emotional. If you wanna watch it just search "the original chibiusa's mother" in YouTube and you should find it.**

Talent Show

Lucy ran up to Makarov. "I'm going to change my song!" she said. Makarov didn't argue. He knew how much stress Lucy had been under in the past few days. "As long as it is something appropriate I'll allow it." He said. Lucy nodded and went to the dressing rooms to get ready. After she finished her makeup she sat looking in the mirror. "Mama…" she whispered. There was a soft knock on her door. "Come in!" she called. The door opened to reveal Natsu. "Luce are you sure you want to do this show? Everyone would understand if you didn't." he said. There was concern written all over her best friend's face which touched Lucy. "I'm sure. I'm gonna do this for Mama. She wouldn't want me to give up." She said. Natsu nodded. "Well then you'd better get ready. The show is about to start and even if you're the last one up you have to be ready!" he said. Lucy nodded and left with him to wait near the curtain.

Natsu was worried. Lucy's mom had died just two days earlier and he hadn't seen her show any kind of emotion since then. She didn't smile, she didn't cry, she never got angry. She just existed and it was killing him to watch. He just wanted to make sure she could still feel something. He wanted her to be ok. That's why the night before, he'd asked her if there was anything she needed. He wanted to be there for her like she was for him. He barely paid attention to all the other acts. Before he knew it, Makarov was announcing Lucy's act. "And now, here to sing a surprise song for us: Lucy Heartfilia!" The whole room got really quiet as Lucy began to sing.

_It's hard to remember_

_A summer _

_Or winter_

_When she hasn't been there for me._

_A friend and companion_

_I can always depend on_

_My mother_

_That's who I need._

Natsu's eyes widened as she began her song. She was singing about her mother and for once, he could hear the emotion in her voice.

_I've taken for granted_

_The seeds that she planted._

_She's always behind everything._

_A teacher, a seeker, a both arms outreacher_

_My mother_

_That's who I need._

_Wish I could slow down _

_The hands of time _

_And keep things the way they are._

_If she said so I would give her the world_

_If I could._

_I would._

Natsu saw the first few tears roll down her face. She was opening up to everyone in the auditorium and not a single eye was dry. Mirajane was sobbing into her brother's shoulder while Lisanna was just letting the tears fall. Gray was crying and trying to hide it. Even Makarov was crying. Natsu felt something wet land on his hand and realized that Romeo and Wendy were also crying. He could feel his own tears making tracks down his face. He pulled Romeo and Wendy into his arms and they stood there trying to comfort each other.

_My love and my laugher_

_From here ever after_

_Is all that she says that she needs._

_A friend and companion_

_I can always depend on._

_My mother_

_That's who I need._

_My mother_

_That's who I need._

Now she was openly crying as she finished the song.

_That's who I need._

As the final notes dissipated into the air, Natsu stood and began to clap. He was joined by the entire audience who began to clap until the applause became thunderous. Natsu made his way up onto the stage where she was still crying and led her back stage. There he pulled her into his arms and rocked her back and forth while she finally let out all the grief she'd been holding back for the past few days. Her sobs were loud and wracked her body as they left her completely empty. Macao appeared a few moments later with Romeo who was still crying. Mirajane, Erza, Gray and Levy all came running up after the winner was announced. It was Lucy of course but Levy had accepted the trophy and bouquet for her friend.

Lucy had her hands fisted in Natsu's shirt which was now thoroughly soaked. Her sobs seemed unending as all the pent up pain began to burst forth. When Natsu had asked her what she needed to feel better and maybe open up a bit, she had considered the question. She had nothing better to do since she couldn't cry for some reason and she couldn't feel anything. She decided that the only thing she needed was her mother and then the song had popped into her mind. She sang it in tribute to her mother and was rather surprised when the tears came. Now it seemed she would never stop crying. If it wasn't for Natsu's arms around her she was afraid she would drown in her own tears. Then she felt small thin arms go around her as Levy hugged her from behind. Mira put her hand on Lucy's shoulder and even Gray and Erza joined Mira by putting their hands on her shoulder. Their hands seemed to transmit strength into Lucy's thin frame and slowly her shaking sobs ceased and her tears dried.

Lucy turned her head so that she was looking to her left. There she saw Macao with his arm around her little brother who had stopped crying but was still very worried about his sister. He also looked so sad and Lucy realized all of a sudden that while she'd been trying to figure out how to handle her grief, she had abandoned her brother. She pushed back from Natsu and her friends dropped their hands to let her take a step towards her brother. Lucy opened her arms and Romeo dove into them. Neither one was crying but Lucy bent her head so that her forehead was resting on Romeo's shoulder. Romeo was growing fast and he was not much shorter than his sister so she didn't have to bend far. She was also surprised at his strength as his arms were wound tightly around her. Then Romeo spoke. "I'm so glad you sang that Lu. Mom loved it; I'm sure she did. She promised she'd watch over us didn't she. So don't cry anymore sis because even though we can't see her she is still here."

His words were exactly the right ones Lucy needed to hear. They sent a calming balm throughout her soul and she was able to breathe out a long sigh. Romeo was right. Their mother did promise that she would always watch over them and Layla Heartfilia never broke a promise. Lucy was amazed that her brother was able to say just the right thing to make her feel so much better. The pain of losing her mother was still there but it was right next to the knowledge that she had a brother that loved her and would never leave her. Her arms tightened around Romeo and she said, "I love you so much Romeo." Romeo was faintly surprised when he felt the prick of tears in his eyes but he blinked them away before saying, "I love you too sis. Now let's go home."

**This was too damn sad to make very long. 'Nuf said.**


	8. Chapter 8

**This wouldn't be a high school fic if I didn't talk about football would it? I didn't think so. I've "tackled" the subject (ha! did you see what I did there?) and I think I did a good job. But that is up to you, my lovely readers! So please, comment away!**

Football Season

The talent show was a major focus of the year but after that, it was football's time to shine. Everyone was excited about Homecoming and who was going to take who. Maybe relationships would be started and maybe relationships would end! It was a night of high drama which was the first of Mirajane's two biggest nights. The other being Prom. And this year Mira would actually be allowed to attend Junior Prom. The past two years she'd created elaborate plans to sneak into both the Junior and Senior proms but every year it failed due to the excellent chaperoning of the school nurse, a mean pink haired woman. This year there was nothing anyone could do to prevent Mira from going to the prom and so she was already making plans. Freed tried to stay out of it as much as possible. He knew better than to get involved because she was one tiresome lady when it came to match making. Homecoming was Mira's practice field. It was also where she learned who liked who and which couples needed a little push. So she was very excited.

Natsu was very nervous. He'd been having a good season so far; the team had only lost one game. But Homecoming was a game one can't lose! It is the most important game of the season besides tournament games. And Natsu was the freshman quarterback. He'd earned the respect of his team but the other teams looked down on them. This sometimes worked to their advantage but other times it was bad because the opposing team just wanted to crush the little QB as they called him, into the ground. Natsu could not let his team down! So practice was all he was focused on. Well, that and making sure Lucy was alright. She'd learned to live with her mother's death and had stopped crying over the last month. She was still sad sometimes but at least she was trying to get back to her normal self.

Gildarts, the soccer coach and English teacher had noticed Natsu's shift in focus. He was a big fan of football and so didn't come down hard on the boy. Instead, he gave Natsu some advice about how to stay calm and also balance his studies. After all, if Natsu got into too much trouble during class, he would not be allowed to play at the game. This was proving to be quite the problem too. No matter what he did, Porla, (the geometry teacher) kept trying to get him into trouble. For some reason, the teacher seemed to hate him and Lucy. One particularly close call came when Porla had called Lucy a "huge crybaby that needs to learn people die and there's nothing you can do about it." Natsu's eyes became slits and you could see fire in them. His fists clenched and he almost stood up until he felt a small hand on his bicep. Lucy's eyes were glassy with unshed tears at Porla's insult but she was shaking her head at him. She knew how important football was to him and that was what she told him after class that day before they went into Gildarts' room. Natsu had glared at her for stopping him and when she'd explained why he gripped her shoulders and said, "But you're more important to me Luce!" Lucy had been very surprised by this but covered the pink dusting her cheeks by pulling him to her for a hug.

Natsu and Lucy had become very close over the past few months. In one way, her mother's death had brought them even closer. Natsu came over to their house all the time but when he wasn't over at her house chances were she was over at his. While they both maintained that they were just good friends, Lucy had begun to question that. She began to have different feelings around Natsu and sometimes it even hurt when she had to say they were just friends. Lucy had confided in Mirajane about it a week earlier. Mirajane had been delighted and told Lucy that she liked Natsu! Lucy was at first very confused but then realization dawned on her and she knew she couldn't deny it. Mira promised to help her but Lucy pulled the "my mother just died so please don't hurt me" card so that Mira's schemes wouldn't be too elaborate. Mira agreed, much to her chagrin, but she knew there would be other couples who needed her help.

And so the day of the game was fast approaching. Banners for the game and corresponding dance were hung and the tickets had sold out within three days. Lucy and the other girls had all gotten tickets. Gray had gotten tickets as well and promised to sit with them. He too had grown closer to Lucy but she was more of a sister to him. He could trust her and she gave good advice so he would confide in her about the shaky relationship he had with his brother or how his sister seemed cold sometimes but at others she really wanted to spend time with him. Lucy listened and helped in the best way she could. Gray had become her other protector whenever Natsu couldn't. It was he who'd stood up for Lucy when Porla made that comment which Natsu couldn't respond to. He also made people stop staring at her after the first week of Layla's death. He had come to Lucy for advice on who to take to Homecoming. Lucy had suggested Juvia for two reasons. The first was that the girl had an epic crush on him and she wanted to help Juvia out a little because Gray was oblivious to Juvia's feelings. The second was that Juvia was convinced that Gray liked Lucy and so called Lucy her love rival and would sometimes be angry at Lucy for hanging out with Gray. Juvia had been overjoyed when Gray asked her to go with him to Homecoming. She'd mentioned Lucy to which Gray had said that it would be weird to take a sister to Homecoming. Besides, everyone knew Lucy was Natsu's girl. Even if Natsu himself didn't know it.

Mirajane had to interfere when getting Natsu to ask Lucy to go to Homecoming with him. You see, both Natsu and Lucy had been the freshman nominees for the court. This meant Natsu had to go to the dance which he originally planned on not going to. When running to Mira for help on this situation, Mira said he absolutely had to have a date. Natsu was afraid of this idea even more than the dance but surprisingly thought of taking Lucy himself. She was the only one he was comfortable with anyway. Natsu was very nervous when he asked her though he didn't understand why. Lucy was so happy that he asked her but she subdued it just a bit when she said yes.

So dates had been decided and the game was that night. Lucy and the girls had gone dress shopping and found the perfect dresses. Now all that was left was the game. Mira pulled up in her car to take Lucy. Macao and Romeo were coming but were planning to leave a bit later. Besides, Lucy had to be there early to get ready to be introduced when the Homecoming Court was announced. They were to be walked out with the corresponding boy. This meant Natsu would walk Lucy out, Gajeel would walk Juvia out, Freed would walk Mira out and a boy named Max would walk Kristy out. Their school only allowed one couple to represent each grade because while the dance was fun and good for the students, the school focused more on teaching and letting the students develop their specific talents. They didn't want too much of a spectacle to be made over these trivial dances. Lucy and Mira picked up Juvia and Levy. Cana wasn't going to the game but she would go to the dance afterwards. The girls were all wearing long overcoats for two reasons. They promised they would show off their dresses at the same time and it was chilly outside.

They reached the stadium and once everyone was out of the car, Mira turned to them and said, "Alright! Let's see those dresses! I know they looked good the first time but that was under store lights. Besides, none of you showed me your accessories!" She made a pout face at that. The other girls giggled. Juvia went first. She wore a dark blue gown which reached her ankles. The gown had some sequins on it for sparkle under the lights and she had accessorized with a silver bracelet and silver drop earrings. Her hair was down and hung just above her shoulders. Mira gushed over the dress and the way it fit her body. Next it was Levy's turn. Levy had gone with a light green dress that stopped at her knees. It poofed out a bit so that when she twirled it swept out nicely. Her hair was pulled back with sparkling clips that took the shape of flowers and she had an arm band that was like a vine on her upper right arm. Mirajane had her hair down except for a crown of braids at the top of her head. The braids had pink ribbon wound through them which matched the long pink dress she was wearing. The dress had a lacy collar that on anyone else would have looked prudish. It looked dainty on Mirajane. The girls turned to Lucy who was looking a tad bit nervous. "Well?!" Levy said expectantly. Mira smiled and said, "Let us see! It can't be too bad! I helped pick the dresses!"

Lucy threw her overcoat in Mira's car and turned to face the girls. They all gasped. Her dress was a blue mini dress that hugged her body in all the right places. There was white throughout the dress giving the impression of wispy clouds in a blue sky. Lucy's golden hair was in ringlets that were pulled back into a ponytail and tied with a white ribbon. On her wrist was a bracelet and her ears sported diamond studs. She blushed under their gazes especially when Mirajane began gushing over what she'd put together. "I love your bracelet! It's so pretty!" she cried, grabbing Lucy's wrist. Lucy smiled fondly down at the bracelet and said, "It was my mother's. She passed all her jewelry on to me since I was her only daughter." Mira squeezed her hand and said, "She is probably so proud of you right now!" They had all agreed, as per Romeo's statement, to speak of Layla in the present tense since she never really left them alone. It helped Lucy to heal faster anyway so that was what they did. Lucy grinned at Mira's statement.

Once they entered the stadium, Levy separated from them and said she and Lisanna, who had just arrived with Erza, would save them seats. Mira, Juvia and Lucy waved them off before heading underneath the stadium. They waited just beyond the locker rooms for their respective escorts. Freed arrived very soon after this and he was wearing a pink tie to match his girlfriend's dress. Mira gave him a kiss and held his arm while they waited for Natsu and Gajeel. They were joined by Kristy who gave Lucy and Juvia hugs and waved at Mira. While Lucy was in Kristy's embrace she whispered, "I voted you for the Queen." Kristy pulled away blushing but smiled at Lucy all the same. The soccer star was not used to girly things like dances and being the queen of one but she had wondered what it would be like if she won. She was wearing a shimmering silver mini dress with a diamond heart necklace. Her hair was down for once and it fell to her mid back.

The girls and Freed heard a shout from the locker room which signaled the end of the pep talk. The door opened and the team flooded out. They noticed the girls in the hall and most stopped to compliment the girls before moving on. The students at Fairy Tail were very close and supportive of one another. They were almost like a family. Max came out as part of the wave and he joined Kristy who blushed again when he complimented her dress. They were in their football jerseys because there wasn't time between the introduction of the court and the start of the game to change but it was alright because they would be well dressed later and at least now they weren't sweaty. Gajeel came next and nodded at Juvia. This was as close as he would come to a compliment and since Juvia had known him for a while she wasn't offended. Natsu came out last. It seemed he had been talking to the coach about something and he seemed a tad bit worried for some reason. His face lit up when he saw Lucy nervously waiting on him behind the other couples in the hall. "Wow Luce you look amazing!" Natsu said when he reached her. Lucy's cheeks turned a pink to match Natsu's as she turned to hide the growing blush. "Aw Natsu! I don't look any better than Mira or Kristy or Juvia." She said. Natsu's hand landed on her shoulder and she turned to face him again. "You're beautiful Lucy." He said quietly so nobody but Lucy would hear him. Lucy's mouth dropped open at his compliment and she gasped. She grabbed his arm and squeezed it as the line of them started walking towards the field entrance.

As the team was announced, Natsu began to look a bit more nervous every second. Lucy noticed and thought he was way too nervous to be afraid of escorting her. "Natsu what's wrong?" she whispered to him. He shook his head but she squeezed his arm again to get his attention. "I know something is up so what is it?" she demanded. The announcer was getting to the court announcement but Natsu knew Lucy would be angry if he tried to skip out on her so he said, "Gajeel caught Porla giving the other team out play charts. He's trying to give the Phantoms an unfair advantage." Gajeel had come to him earlier that day and told him about it. Natsu had then told their coach who told Makarov. Makarov was firing Porla right after the dance but it explained why Porla had been trying to get under Natsu's skin the whole week. He didn't want the Fairies to win their Homecoming game for some reason and if Natsu couldn't play the team didn't have much of a chance at winning. But now the Phantoms knew the play charts and signals so Natsu and the coaches had to come up with new ones fast. He was nervous about remembering them all and being able to communicate them to the team.

Natsu finished telling all of this to Lucy just as they were introduced. They both put on huge smiles and waved as their school cheered for them. Lucy spoke through her smile and said, "I know you can do it Natsu! I believe in you and so does the rest of this school! So go and beat this team and show them that nobody messes with Fairy Tail High! Especially on their home field!" Natsu's eyes widened at her words and he was surprised at how much they meant to him. The introductions were over and Lucy turned to him, dropping his arm. She grabbed his helmet which was underneath his other arm and, reaching up, she placed it on his head. Keeping her hands on either side of his helmet she looked into his surprised eyes and said, "I'm counting on you Natsu! You got that?!" Natsu nodded, a determined look coming into his eyes. "Aye sir!" he said. Lucy walked to the sidelines as he went to join his team. She turned back when she heard her name.

"Lucy!" Natsu called. When he saw her turn he grinned and waved while calling, "Thanks!" Lucy smiled her radiant smile back and lifted her hand in Fairy Tail's symbolic gesture before proceeding to her seat which was saved by Mira. Once she sat down, Mira turned away from her conversation with Freed to whisper, "What was that about?" Lucy told her what happened and Mira frowned at the opposing team. "It figures they would try to cheat! Those Phantoms have been our rivals since day one! They don't know the meaning of sportsmanship!"

…..

The game progressed and at first it was going just fine. Touchdowns were scored on both sides though Fairy Tail had a harder time with theirs. At the half the score was tied. Then in the second half things started to go downhill for Fairy Tail. Passes were dropped, terrible calls were made and it became evident to Lucy and the other fans that not only had the Phantoms gotten the play charts, they had also tipped the refs. Things looked bad and it was the final quarter. Natsu had managed to complete two touchdown passes which brought it down to a six point separation. Fairy Tail had the ball and they needed a touchdown. If they got one, they would win the game. This was their last shot. Natsu was losing hope since they were still forty yards from the end zone. In the huddle he tried to think of something to say that would inspire the team or at least make them give their all.

Lucy could see that Natsu was troubled on the field. Things did not look good but Fairy Tail didn't know the meaning of "give up." At least, the Fairy Tail she knew didn't! Lucy stood and stepped up onto the concrete barrier. Mira looked worried but Lucy had good balance skills. She turned to the crowd, spotting friends and comrades everywhere. Her determined gaze swept over all of them and somehow everyone knew what she was asking. Turning back to face the field, she raised her right hand, index finger pointing skyward. The crowd stood with her and raised their hands as well in the symbol of Fairy Tail. The stadium had a hush over it as the team broke from their huddle to stare in amazement at the sight.

Natsu had been trying to think of something to say but it just wasn't coming to him. Then Gajeel's eyes widened and he said, "Oi! Look!" Natsu glanced up at the stands and gasped. Every single member of Fairy Tail High, faculty, student or family was standing and raising their fists in the symbol of Fairy Tail. The team looked all around them at the overwhelming support they had. Natsu spotted his father, mother and even little Wendy with her fist in the air. Then he saw a golden haired figure standing higher than the rest. Lucy. She must have started it. She was staring right at him. Suddenly the entire crowd of people yelled, "FAIRY TAIL!" They pumped their fists once and Lucy's face broke out into her radiant smile again as she mouthed the words, "You got this," to him. Natsu gave her a thumbs up and turned back to his team. "We can't let them down now. Here's what we're gonna do…"

Lucy and the crowd kept their fists up. Natsu broke the huddle and her smile grew even bigger as the team on the field put their own fists in the air showing the symbol of Fairy Tail. They were thanking the crowd for the support they had given and were letting everyone know they were going to win this fight. Because now, it was a war. Losing was not an option. Lucy lowered her fist and stepped back down much to the relief of Mirajane. They were sitting right behind the goal and it was a bit of a drop for Lucy to take standing up like she was. The rest of the crowd lowered their fists too but remained standing, waiting for what would be the most memorable play in all of football history no matter which way it went.

The play was almost too fast to be seen but yet to those watching things went in slow motion. Natsu got the ball and backed up a bit, looking for someone to pass to. He knew passing was the only way they could win this game. Gajeel and a kid named Droy were blocking the Phantoms that were coming to sac Natsu. Finally, a kid with sandy brown hair sprinted away from his defender. It was a long pass but Natsu gathered all his strength and hurled the ball at the kid whose name was Jet. The crowd held its breath as the ball soared towards its target. The ball was going so fast it seemed it might break into flames. Jet caught the ball and took off running. His speed was incredible and as it became certain that he would make it to the end zone, the crowd's cheering became thunderous and the rest of the team began running towards the end zone with Jet. Lucy watched as Jet grew ever closer to their seats and the end zone. As Jet crossed it, her smile grew so big it might have split her face if she wasn't careful!

As the final buzzer sounded the crowd got up to storm the field. When Lucy and Levy reached the field it was crowded with people jumping and cheering. Lucy held Levy's hand so they wouldn't get separated before they joined the crowd. Everyone was laughing and cheering. Jet was up on the shoulders of some of the team as his name was chanted over and over. He was so happy for what he'd done and his smile was bigger even then Lucy's had been. Lucy finally found the person she'd been looking for as she reached the center of the field. "Natsu!" she cried. Lucy ran towards him, very glad she was wearing flats before the dance. Natsu had taken his helmet off and was receiving praise from coaches and the other players for his amazing pass but he turned when he heard her voice. His face lit up again in his famous grin as he caught Lucy and swung her around while she laughed, clinging to his neck. "I told you! I knew you could do it! What were you so nervous for anyway?" she cried. Natsu put her down but didn't let go of her. "Yeah you were right Luce. Thanks! What you did for the team was amazing! How did you get the crowd to do that?" he asked. The others coaches and players had been wondering the same thing and some didn't know that Lucy had led the show of support. They were surprised that a little blond like her could get the crowd to do something that big. Lucy giggled and said, "I just looked at them and they seemed to understand what I wanted."

Natsu's family finally pushed their way through the crowd and Igneel gave his son a hug. "Well played son! It was a great game!" he said. Natsu smiled at his father but he kept one arm around Lucy since the crowd was kinda rough and he didn't want her to get pulled away somehow. Wendy was on her father's shoulders to prevent her from being lost in the crowd as well. Erza finally fought her way through the crowd and whacked Natsu on the back. Natsu doubled over wincing. Erza hits hard! "Natsu!" she stated. "You fought well! I am very proud of your win!" Natsu saluted her for fear of getting hit for some reason if he didn't. Lucy found herself laughing while they talked and cheered about the game. Eventually they all headed over to the school. Natsu and the other members of the team showered very quickly in the locker rooms and got into their nice clothes for the dance. Lucy waited outside the locker rooms for Natsu and when he came out she grinned at him. "Ready?" she asked. He grabbed her hand and said, "C'mon! I'm sure the rest of them are waiting for us!"

**All I wanna say about this one: THAT WAS EPIC! I had so much fun writing this chapter so please leave me a review so I know if you liked it!**


	9. Chapter 9

**...This also wouldn't be a highschool fic if I didn't include a dance right? Well I have put Homecoming in and I will probably put in Prom! So never fear all of you secret princesses (of which I am one!)! I have given you your fluffy night of music and mirth! So please enjoy!**

Homecoming Dance

The gym had been decorated so well that it didn't look like a gym anymore. There were tables for those who wanted to eat some of the food available and there was a space cleared for a dance floor. Music was blaring the fight song for Fairy Tail as they walked into the gym. Lucy gasped at the small lights and ribbon hung everywhere to make the place glow. "It's so pretty!" she exclaimed. Natsu nodded and pulled Lucy towards their friends who were waiting for them at a table. Gajeel had also joined them. Natsu liked the guy ever since he told the team about Porla's betrayal. Levy liked him because while Lucy had been airborne because of Natsu, Gajeel had come up from seemingly nowhere to shield her from the crowd. She had no idea that he had this kind of a soft side.

They all sat discussing the game and laughing. They ate some of the food provided at the dance. Then Freed asked Mira to dance and suddenly everyone was pairing off. Even Natsu was dancing with Lucy. He had been sort of dragged to the dance floor but he looked like he was enjoying himself. Levy sat at the table watching them dance while Gajeel stood somewhere off to her left. She felt awkward about their situation but didn't know what to do about it. She glanced over at him and sort of turned a bit pink. He was not an ugly person and he had saved her from that crowd. She realized she hadn't thanked him yet so she turned to him. When he saw her gaze he flinched almost as though he was afraid she was going to ask him to dance. "I wanted to thank you for helping me in the stadium. I could have been trampled if you hadn't been there so thanks." Levy said, smiling sweetly at him. Her smile seemed to catch him off guard. To hide this fact, he said, "You are really tiny. Someone would have overlooked you so I just made sure they would see me instead." Levy frowned at the comment about her height but just turned back to the dance floor.

She didn't have to wait and hope for much longer because the hero of the night, Jet, came to her and asked for a dance. Levy gladly accepted and she spent the rest of the night dancing with various people. The king and queen were crowned, both being the seniors. Lucy was happy for Kristy and she still got a smaller tiara out of the deal anyway! Levy had the time of her life all the way up until her parents called to let her know they were waiting outside for her. She found her friends and bid them goodbye, promising to tell them everything that had happened to her on Monday. Erza was the next to leave saying she had to wake up early the next morning for a kendo match. Gray walked Juvia home about half an hour after that. The party was starting to wind down when Natsu realized that somehow he had lost track of Lucy. She had been right next to him just a minute before but now she was gone. He asked people where she'd gone and finally someone told him they saw her head outside. Natsu hoped she hadn't gone home since that would have been dangerous at this time of night. He walked out the front door to find Lucy sitting on one of the benches outside the school and looking up at the stars.

Natsu approached Lucy and realized how cold it was that night. Lucy had left her coat in Mira's car and since Mira was already gone she would have to get it back later. Natsu took off his jacket and threw it over her shoulders, gaining her attention. She smiled her special smile at him, the one she reserved for him. He sat down next to her and she leaned against his warm shoulder, sighing. Natsu knew something was on her mind but also knew that pushing for it wasn't a good idea with her. Finally, she decided to speak. "I haven't been this happy for a while." She said. He knew she was referring to her mother's death. "It's kinda nice to be able to laugh again." She added after a moment. Natsu leaned forward and poked her cheek. She smiled giving him a mock glare. Natsu grinned at her. "You're a lot prettier when you smile." He said. Lucy blushed and stood. Turning to him she held out her hand. "Walk me home?" she asked. Natsu took her hand and nodded. They walked slowly mostly because Lucy was tired. She'd had quite the day filled with excitement. She knew she wouldn't be getting up until late tomorrow morning. When they reached her door, Lucy turned to Natsu. "I wanted to say thank you for everything you've done for me in the past couple of months. You were always there when I needed you. You didn't have to do all the things you did for me." She said. Then she stood on tip toe and pressed her lips to his cheek. Blushing at her boldness she said, "'Night." And ran into her house.

Lucy lay on her bed staring up at the ceiling. It was official. She was head over heels for this pink haired guy. There wasn't anything she could do about it but surprisingly she was not afraid. She was sure Natsu wouldn't hurt her. Lucy was amazed at how in a few months he'd been able to knock all her walls down and worm his way into her heart. As she lay clutching her heart she couldn't help the soft smile that crept across her face.

Natsu's hand came up to cover the spot her lips had been. It still felt warm. Her words echoed in his head as he walked back to his house. He reached his room and collapsed on his bed. He had seriously thought about what Lucy had said and came to the conclusion that there was something special about Lucy. He had yet to figure it out but he knew it was important. Her last words echoed through his brain and he smiled a small smile. "Lucy you weirdo. Of course I had to do all those things for you!" he said to his ceiling as he drifted off.

**It's short I know! I've done that way too much lately! Please don't hate me! I don't mean any harm its just... well the story would be jumpy if I kept this in chapter 8! But if you hated it, I can take it, I'm a big girl so lay it on me. Write a review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**I bet you though my Christmas story was going to be about Natsu and Lucy didn't ya! Well HA! I fooled you yay! I wanted to give Levy some page time so she gets a chapter. I might do more of these kinds of things with other characters. Give them some time in the spotlight so you can see how I view them. This is the last chapter of the bomb so enjoy as a new one might not come until next year. I hope everyone enjoyed my little Christmas present to you!**

Merry Christmas Levy!

Levy was on her way to the library when she felt something wet hit her nose. She looked up and realized it had started to snow. School had been let out for the holidays and so she had more time to herself now. She visited her friends quite a bit but today she was going to spend some time volunteering at the library. It was her favorite place in town besides the bookstore. Levy stuck her hands in her pockets to avoid the winter chill and wished she'd brought her scarf to protect against the chilling wind. She was glad when she reached the library. Pulling the doors open, she was greeted by the warmth and the smell of paper and ink. Levy couldn't help but smile as she walked up to the desk and greeted the librarian. She was given a cart of books that needed to be shelved and gladly got to work.

Levy loved working here in the library. She'd been offered an official job here but she refused to work for money when it came to the library. She loved that anyone could get books and read them for free and it was simple for her to sort and shelve books. So it didn't make any sense to her that she should be paid for doing that. She had volunteered there so much that she'd even been allowed to check books out to people and when new books came in she was taught how to add them to the database and put the appropriate labels on them. Levy loved this job more than anything and that was probably why she came here even when it was snowing. Levy glanced out a window as she passed and saw that the snow was really coming down. It was sure to be a white Christmas now! Today was Christmas Eve and she had finished all her shopping days beforehand since she knew most of the books people borrowed would be due by today since the library was closed tomorrow. Levy turned away from the window and continued her work on the cart of books. It took her about an hour to shelve all those books on the cart and as she pushed it back up to the front she realized the library was quite empty. Usually there were a few people milling about among the stacks and perusing the books but it was very empty today.

Levy put the cart away and went to ask the librarian what her next task would be. The librarian was standing and packing her things. "Levy we're going to close early today. It's been snowing hard lately and the snow is really piling up. Besides, it's Christmas Eve and everyone is probably going to be with their families." The librarian said. Levy nodded and grabbed her bag from behind the counter. She was a tad bit upset that she hadn't had time to look around the books herself but she understood that safety came first. Levy followed the librarian out of the library. The librarian turned and offered Levy a ride as the snowfall was getting even heavier and the snow on the ground was getting deeper by the minute. Levy refused because her house was only a block from the library. She was pretty sure she could make it home without a problem. The librarian sent her a worried look but got into her car and drove away slowly.

Levy walked away slowly as well. The snow was already up to her calves and she knew she had to move fast or it would become too hard to walk. What she hadn't counted on was how cold it was. Her jeans became thoroughly soaked in a matter of minutes trudging through the snow and now the bottom of her legs felt like blocks of ice. Levy was beginning to shake with cold and she began to stumble a lot more. Levy kept pushing though it was becoming harder and harder to see thorough the blizzard that was now raging. The snow was now up to her knees and movement for Levy was becoming close to impossible. Levy was now becoming delirious with cold and didn't know how much longer she could keep this up. As she fell for a millionth time, she could not get back up. Levy vaguely felt someone pulling her up and yelling at her but she just couldn't respond. Suddenly the person slapped her hard across the face. That woke her up. "Oi! Shrimp! You can't fall asleep you hear me?! Which way is your house?" the big, dark haired man in front of her yelled above the wind. "G-G-Gajeel?" she mumbled. Gajeel shook her roughly. "Hey! Stay with me! Where's your house?!" he yelled. Levy finally understood what he was saying and pointed in the direction of her house. "Yellow door." She said. She didn't understand what was going on until it happened. Gajeel took off his coat and picked her up, putting her on his back. Then he somehow managed to put his coat back on so it covered both of them. He began walking through the blizzard and towards her house.

Gajeel had been walking his Rottweiler, Panther Lily, when he'd seen Levy. His house was down the street from the library and he noticed her leaving the building. He'd brought Lily back into his home and sat down to watch the television. The program he was watching got interrupted by a weather report which warned everyone to get off the streets as the storm was rapidly becoming a blizzard. For some reason, he thought of Levy out in the snow. With her absurdly short size, she would probably be buried. Gajeel at first brushed it off because after all, it's not like he actually cared about the short little blunette. After a few minutes though, his conscience took over and he grabbed his winter gear and headed out in search of her. He'd noticed the way she'd started and took that path. After a few minutes of fighting the storm, he finally spotted her small figure. Things did not look good and he saw her fall into the snow. When she didn't get up he began to slightly worry. He reached the place she'd fallen and already as small dusting of snow was covering her. Lifting her up, he tried to get her to respond. When she wouldn't, he punched her which seemed to work. He got her to point the way to her house but knew she wouldn't be able to walk. Once she was under his coat he felt just how cold she really was. She was like a block of ice. He bet her heart beat was slowing down because of the cold and he began to move faster.

Gajeel reached a row of houses and continued down until he spotted one with a yellow door. He began pounding on the door and ringing the bell has hard as he could until finally a man with short, spiky blue hair opened the door. "Oi! You're Levy's dad right?" Gajeel said, finally using her name. The man nodded and paled when he noticed Levy's blue hair over Gajeel's shoulder. Gajeel pushed past Levy's dad and came into the house. Mr. McGarden shut the door and yelled for his wife. When Mrs. McGarden saw what was going on she just about had a panic attack. Levy was taken off of Gajeel's back and put on the couch. Many blankets were piled on her and hot water bottles were heated and placed around her under the blankets. A thermometer was stuck in her mouth to read her temperature which was very low. They called the local hospital but ambulances weren't going to be able to make it through this blizzard. The doctor gave them instructions on what to do and they had been doing everything they could when they finally turned around and noticed a very awkward Gajeel standing in the middle of the room.

"So… it's all good right?" Gajeel asked. Levy's mother dropped into a chair across from the couch. Her father stood behind the chair and said, "It won't be good until she wakes up. But we can't thank you enough for bringing her home! I think introductions are in order. I'm Rick McGarden but you may call me Rick. This is my wife Lisa." Gajeel felt a bit awkward. He wasn't the kind to talk to people, especially adults. But in this situation it was necessary so he opened his mouth. "I'm Gajeel. We go to school together." Rick nodded. Thankfully, things got quiet after that when all attention was refocused on Levy. Rick and Lisa absolutely refused to let Gajeel leave in the blizzard that was raging. It looked like he was going to have to stay over for a night. He wandered over to their kitchen and helped himself to their food when he got hungry. The two were like zombies so Gajeel doubted they would notice the missing food. Then he sat right back down in his chair and closed his eyes.

They opened several hours later when he heard stirring. Levy was moving around, finally starting to wake up. She moaned slightly as her eyes cracked open. "G….Gajeel…." she muttered. She kinda sounded a tad bit worried which would probably be because the blizzard had almost killed her so what could it do to him. This thought prompted him to say, "Still here Shrimp." Levy's head turned slowly to face him. She cracked a tiny smile. Adorable. Gajeel shook himself to rid the foolish thoughts. "Your folks are worried. You should wake them." He said to distract himself. Levy glanced down at her parents. "Thank you. I would have died." Levy said to him. Gajeel snorted in response. "Of course you would have! What kind of idiot goes out in a snowstorm!" Levy frowned, trying to keep the tears that were threatening away. "It wasn't bad until I was half way home. I didn't expect it to get that bad." She said in her own defense. Gajeel frowned back at her. "The snow was already deeper than your ankles! You should have called someone." He noticed a single tear make its way down her cheek just before she turned away to hide it. Something in that iron heart of his gave a little. "You're so clumsy and small who knows what kind of things you'll get into. This is the second time I've helped you out Shrimp. Since nobody else will, I guess I'm going to have to protect you. So just stick with me alright?" he said.

On the other side of the pillow, Levy's eyes widened. Gajeel was rumored to have a heart of steel and to be a huge bully. He didn't care about anyone or anything but his dog Panther Lily and he certainly wouldn't be caught dead doing something nice. And yet he kept showing her a softer side to him. For some reason, she found herself not quite believing all those rumors about the big teenager sitting in the chair across from her. Levy turned her head back to face him and noticed that he'd been watching her. When her head turned, he turned away and acted like he didn't care what she thought of what he'd said. Still, Levy knew he was waiting for her to say something. She was beginning to feel the draw of sleep pull her in but before she went under she said, "Ok."

**In case you've somehow forgotten I said I'd end this bomb with a Christmas Story. Well this was it so I hope you enjoyed it. I just want you all to know how much I appreciate you! I love all my readers and reviewers, even the bad or mean ones. I have the utmost respect for you who put up with my random scribbles. I know most of it isn't that good anyway but you still read it so thank you! You all make my day when I see a little email in my inbox that says you reviewed! So please keep it up and I will try to make you happy! Suggestions are always welcome and if I use your idea I will give you credit. I think in the coming chapters I might try to send shout outs to some of my reviewers and answer any questions you may have. **

**Again, thanks for all your support and Merry Christmas!**

**CC22**


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